More Than Friends?
by TheTrueMrsEdmundPevensie
Summary: Set after Trish's Quincenerra. As Ally spends more time with Dallas, Austin gets more and more jealous. But he shouldn't because they're just friends, right? Read&review!
1. Chapter 1

"You're telling me you don't think it's a cool idea?" Dez asked in disbelief.

"I'm just saying me on top of a volcano dancing with a penguin wouldn't work for a music video. It's not even relevant to the song!" Austin replied.

"Celebrities. They're never reasonable." The red haired teen muttered, causing Austin to roll his eyes.

They walked into Sonic Boom talking amongst themselves when Trish came up to them. "Guess who got a job at the movie store!" she said cheerfully, pointing to her headband that had a small plastic roll board on it.

"Let me guess; you?" Dez asked, seriously oblivious.

She sighed and smacked his arm. He yelped an "Ow!" before holding his injury. "Oh calm down you baby. I didn't even hit _that_ hard." Trish waved him off.

"Says you!" Dez exclaimed, pointing accusingly at her.

She was about to retort when Austin interrupted them. "Trish!" Once he got her attention, he said, "Where's Ally? I need to get the new song from her."

Trish sighed and pointed behind her. "She's over there, talking to guess who?" She said the last part in a fake happy tone.

Austin looked over at the shop counter. There he saw Ally leaning over the counter top, talking to boy with shaggy brown hair. She was twirling a piece of hair around her finger and smiling at the boy, who wasn't very much taller than her.

"Dallas?" Austin asked, although it was more of a voiced thought.

"Yep. They've been over there since I got here _two hours ago_!" Trish exclaimed.

"Yeah, they've been pretty much inseparable since Trish's Quincinerra." Dez chimed in.

"Trust me, I know." Austin responded. Although for some reason it sounded more bitter than he intended.

Suddenly their attention was back over at their friend. Ally waved to Dallas before he walked out the door and out of sight. Austin took this as his chance.

"Ally!" he called. She looked at him and smiled. Austin felt his face grow warmer, but he decided to ignore it. He didn't know if Dallas would be coming back and he _needed_ to talk to her about the new song.

"Hey!" she greeted as she came over to them. "How long have you guys been here?"

"Not long." Austin said, but behind him he heard Trish mumble "Two hours."

"Good. I would've been with you sooner, but I was a little…distracted." She giggled at the last part.

Trish, forgetting her resentment bout waiting so long, smirked. "Yes, we _all_ saw Dallas."

Ally blushed. "Well, never mind that." She turned to Austin, a bigger smile on her face. "Guess what I have?"

"What's with all the guessing today?" Dez asked to no one in particular.

Austin ignored him. "My new song?" he asked hopefully.

She nodded and grabbed his hand, pulling him over to the counter. She went behind it and grabbed her song book from underneath it and flipped to a page. "I think this is pretty promising." She said, not taking her eyes off of the page.

"Well, _you_ wrote it. It's bound to be promising." Austin smiled. Ally looked up, surprise on her face. She didn't realize that she said that out loud. But she smiled back at him. "Thanks."

"No problem. Now come on! Let's go run that baby!" With that he ran up to their practice room, her laughing and following right behind.

_~0~0~0~0~_

Ally hit the final keys on the piano as Austin sang the last notes. The room went quiet for a brief moment before the blond singer said, "Ally, I think this is my new hit!"

She shook her head. "You're exaggerating."

"No, I mean it." He said, causing her to face him.

"Really?" she asked. He thought it was cute how much hope was clear in her eyes.

Wait, did he just think she looked cute?

He came back to reality. "Yes." He clarified, making her show a huge smile.

Suddenly they heard a beep coming from across the room. She jumped up and ran over, retrieving her phone. She came back over, reading the new message on her phone's screen.

"What's up?" Austin asked, looking up at her.

She didn't respond for a second, her eyes scanning the screen. Then she met his eyes. "Um, can we call it an early day? I have to go meet someone."

"Don't tell me; Dallas?" he asked, a knowing smile on his face.

She was about to say something when she sighed and grinned, telling him her answer without words. He chuckled and motioned to the door. "Go. We'll just practice more later."

She let out a squeal and side hugged him. "Oh, thanks!" she said, pulling away from him. She then grabbed her purse and ran out the door.

He watched her retreating back, smiling. But when she was out of sight, he frowned involuntarily. He felt something at the pit of his stomach, something that did _not_ feel good. He just shook his head, thinking it wasn't important.

He stood up and walked out, ready to meet up with Dez. But something would be tugging at the back og his mind for the rest of the day, he just knew it.

**Yay, my first Austin and Ally fanfic! Haha :D**

**Should I continue this? Tell me what you think!**

**Read&review! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Ally ran down the stairs leading up to the practice room, feeling giddy inside. She was almost out of the store when she bumped into someone.

"Whoa, watch where you're going!" Trish exclaimed, but she was smiling.

Ally chuckled. "Oh, sorry. I'm just on my way to meet Dallas."

Trish raised her eyebrows. "Again?"

"What do you mean?" Ally asked, confusion written on her face.

"Well, you just spent two hours talking with him. Now you're going on a…oh I don't know, a date?" She was smirking.

Ally was about to respond when she stopped, thinking. She and Dallas had never been on an _actual_ date before, at least not officially.

"Uh, I'm not sure exactly." She managed to say, still lost in thought.

"Okay, where is he taking you?" Ally looked at her. "What are you guys gonna do tonight?"

"Oh, that's easy. Dinner and a movie." Ally smiled.

Trish clapped her hands. "Ally, that's totally a date!"

"It is?"

Trish sighed. Sometimes her best friend was just _too_ naïve. "Yes." Ally smiled at first, but then it was replaced by a small frown. "What's up?"

Ally sighed and said, "I kind of feel, ripped off I guess? He never actually asked me out, and isn't that like a big moment in a girl's life?"

Trish crossed her arms. "Ally, you're already expecting too much. Don't you know that girls mature faster than boys? Welcome to the twenty first century!" She held out her arms for emphasis.

Ally thought for another minute before laughing to herself. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Aren't I always?" Trish asked, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Then she started pushing her friend out the door. "Now hurry up! Your mans' waiting for you!"

"Waitwaitwait!" Ally said, stopping her. "Since _now_ I know this is a real date…how do I look?"

Trish stood back and analyzed, holding her chin in her hand. Her eyes landed on Ally's face and she snapped her fingers. "I've got it." She went over to the counter and went into her purse, fishing out whatever she needed.

"Here." She said as she fixed Ally up with her own makeup. "The trick is to make you look natural, but that takes a lot on its own!" Trish laughed as she touched up Ally's mascara.

"Are you sure this is all necessary?" Ally asked.

"Absolutely! You need to look at least a _little_ spruced up for Dallas; otherwise he'll think you're not that into him."

Ally's eyes went bigger. "But I am! Trish, pile that stuff on if you have to. I don't want to give off wrong signals!" She reached for her hair to begin chewing on it, but Trish slapped her hand away.

"No. You'll mess up my handiwork!" Trish scolded as she went over Ally's eyelid one last time. "There."

She sighed, proud of her work. She made Ally look put together, yet still simple and natural as Ally was.

Ally went over to a mirror and inspected her friend's job. And she couldn't deny that she actually looked amazing. "Trish, thank you!" Ally smiled.

"Oh please, go on." Trish smirked, loving the praise.

"I can't. If I don't go now, Dallas will _really _think I'm not into him by standing him up!" She grabbed her purse again off the counter and quickly hugged Trish before practically sprinting out the door.

Trish watched her retreating back, a smile on her face. "That girl would be lost without me." She chuckled, turning around to sit at the counter. She told Ally she'd watch the store, when really she'd just sit and read a magazine.

"Hey, did Ally leave yet?" She heard someone call. She looked up to see Austin standing on the balcony above.

"Yeah, like ten seconds ago! If you run I think you'll catch her-"

"No, that's okay." He said as he walked down the stairs. "Wasn't that important anyways."

Trish nodded before going back to her magazine just as Dez came walking in. "What up everybody?"

"Ally just went on her _first date_." Trish smirked, making the two boys raise their eyebrows.

"Really? I didn't know she and Dallas were actually dating." Austin said, happy for his friend.

"Yep. But I have to say; that girl is just too innocent. She _needs _to get out in the world more, I'm not even joking."

"Why? Ally is perfect just the way she is." It rolled off Austin's tongue before he could stop himself, but he didn't regret it. It was true in his eyes.

Trish and Dez looked at him funny for a fraction of a second before Dez said, "Well, anyway I need to look at the song to get a feel of what kind of video I'm doing." He started walking up to the practice room.

"No penguins or volcanoes!" Austin called after him, which earned him a wave off. He chuckled and turned back to the counter, where Trish was looking at him through narrow eyes. "What?"

"So, you think Ally is perfect huh?" She stated, still staring at him.

"Well, yeah. I mean, as one friend thinks of another." He stuttered, when he really didn't know why he did. He had nothing to hide, right?

"Mmm-hmm." Trish said before picking up her magazine again. "Now go away Blondie, I'm busy."

"Reading a magazine?" Austin asked, looking from her to the picture of Zac Efron on the front.

"Running the store." Trish said matter-of-factly, before disappearing behind it again. Austin just smiled and shook his head before going up to the practice room with Dez.

_~0~0~0~0~_

"Hey!" Ally greeted as she approached him, who was currently standing next to the cell phone accessory cart.

"Hi." He smiled as she stopped in front of him. That's when she noticed he had a small bag with him.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing the different colored bag.

He glanced at it and said, "Oh, for you." He handed it to her and she tried hard not to act too excited when opening it, yet her stomach had huge butterflies inside.

Finally she opened it to reveal a small cell phone case. She laughed and said, "Aw, you shouldn't have." He smiled at her, when she pretended to be confused. "But where ever did you get one?"

"Trust me, it was hard." He said, putting his hands up. They both laughed again and she placed the small case on the cart.

"Thank you." She smiled.

"No problem. So, you ready to go?"

"Yep." She said as she began to walk off in the direction of the mall's movie theater, when he stopped her.

"Ally, there's something different about you." Dallas said, scanning her face.

"How so?" she asked, acting perplexed.

"Well, you look great." He said, but then his eyes grew bigger. She raised her eyebrows, although there was amusement in her eyes. "Not that you never do, because you always do. I mean-"

"Dallas!" she said, silencing his stutter. "I know what you mean. And thank you." With that she grabbed his hand and smiled at him, leading him to the theater. He smiled back and happily followed.

_~0~0~0~0~_

Dallas walked Ally back to Sonic Boom, them being consumed in conversation. But it died down as they reached the front door.

"I had a really nice time tonight." Ally said, smiling up at him.

"I did too." He replied, looking into her eyes.

"Uh, I have a question for you." Ally said, looking a little afraid to ask.

"Shoot." Dallas said, warmth in his eyes.

"Well, was this like…o-our first date?" She asked, suddenly feeling very nervous.

Dallas looked a little taken back by the question, but he smiled anyway and thought for a second. "Yeah, I guess it was." He said finally.

If it was even possible for her smile to get wider, it just did. "Okay, I just wanted to clear that up." She chuckled.

He smiled and said, "And if I'm not mistaken, every date should end with a goodnight kiss, right?"

She froze, although feeling ecstatic inside. Was he really about to kiss her? She _really_ hoped he would.

"Y-yeah, I think so." She said softly. He leaned closer and closer as her eyes drifted closed. They were literally centimeters apart when suddenly the front door opened and interrupting them.

Ally looked over, wondering who in the world would possibly ruin her moment with Dallas, when her eyes met a pair of brown ones. _Austin._

**There, another chapter! :D**

**I just wanted to say, thank you for all the awesome comments! They mean so much to me, and I'm glad so many of you enjoy this story! I'm here to serve you with Austin & Ally goodness! Haha**

**Read&review! :3**


	3. Chapter 3

Ally and Dallas stood there, only centimeters away from each other, staring directly at Austin. The blond singer had just interrupted their almost first kiss, and Ally practically had steam coming out of her ears.

"Um, Austin? What are you doing out here at this very moment?" Ally asked through gritted teeth.

Austin hesitated before saying with fake surprise, "Oh, are you two are on a date? I had no idea!"

Ally stared at him in disbelief as Dallas looked to the side awkwardly. "Well, I should probably go now. I'll see you tomorrow, Ally." He planted a kiss on her cheek, which sent shivers down her spine. He then nodded at Austin before walking away.

Ally waved at his retreating back before turning to Austin, her eyes wide with anger. He opened his mouth to say something, but she just pushed passed him into the store.

"Ally, wait!" Austin called after her.

"Why in the world would you intrude on one of the most _important_ moments of my life? Well, it was going to be one of them!"

"I told you, I didn't know that-"

"Oh save it." She said, raising a hand to silence him. "There's no way you could've not known, because knowing Trish she would've informed everyone!"

They both looked back at the counter, where Dez and Trish sat. She was about to eat a chip, but froze as they looked at her. She smiled and waved, and the two arguing turned back to each other.

"So, again I ask why?" Ally asked, waiting for an answer.

Austin was about to say something, but he ended up sighing. "Okay, the real reason I interrupted you and Dallas was because I was looking out for you."

She raised her eyebrows, clearly confused. "You were looking out for me?" Austin nodded. "Why? Did you think Dallas was going to hurt me or something?"

"I didn't know what to expect! I barely know the guy, and you're one of my best friends." Her face softened at this. "That's why before you do anything too big, me and Dez are going to interview him!"

He smiled, thinking he said the right thing. But all Ally did was show a funny face. "Wait, what? You can't interview Dallas!"

Austin's expression dropped. "Why not?"

She let out a sarcastic laugh. "Because you'll just scare him off! I _really_ like him, and I'm pretty sure he likes me back. If you interrogate him, he'll never want to see me again!"

"Hey, if he's _that_ shallow, you shouldn't be going out with him." Austin defended, putting his hands up.

Ally sighed and crossed her arms. "Whose idea was this anyway?"

"Dez's." Austin said, motioning to the red haired teenager sitting behind them. Ally just looked at Dez, who said, "Austin went right along with it!"

"Well that doesn't mean that you have to act on it!" Austin looked at her with a slightly offended expression, so she said, "Look, I think it's sweet of you to care. Both of you." She looked at Dez as well. "But you can't interview my possible future boyfriend."

She began to walk away when Austin said, "Well, your Dad thinks it's a good idea. And he said you can't go out with Dallas until we do the interview."

Ally stopped in her tracks and turned around, facing Austin again. "You discussed this with my father?"

He nodded his head, looking at her seriously. An emotion he showed _very_ rarely. "I can't believe you'd do that! What gives you the right to-"

"Well, I'm so sorry for trying to keep you safe." Austin said sarcastically, coming closer to her.

"I can take care of myself!" Ally exclaimed, disbelief written all over her face.

"Yeah? And what if you can't?" Austin asked, looking down at her.

She stared up at him with a hard expression. After a moment she turned on her heel and went up the stairs to their practice room, making sure he heard the door slam behind her.

"That didn't end well." Dez commented. Austin threw an _Are you serious?_ look at him before grabbing his jacket and exiting the store, leaving Dez and Trish alone.

"Wow, I've never seen them act like that toward _each other_." Trish said, looking at the space where the two were just minutes before. "They usually get along so well."

"I know." Dez agreed.

Trish sighed and looked at him. "So, when is the interview taking place?"

"Tomorrow. Dallas will be likely to come into the store to see Ally, and when he does Austin and I will be ready." Dez said with a prepared for war look in his eyes.

"Oh yeah, because you're _so_ intimidating!" Trish said sarcastically, chuckling.

Dez, being so oblivious, nodded. He then saluted to her, turned around and marched out of the store like soldier. Trish just shook her head and laughed, before looking up at the closed practice room door.

She sighed and went up the stairs, opening the door to see Ally sitting at the piano. She was hitting the keys hard and every few seconds would scribble something down in her song book.

"Hey." Trish said as she approached Ally cautiously. Ally was in the middle of writing something down with a ton of force.

"Hi." She said, anger clear in her voice. She then went to push down on the keys again, when Trish stopped.

"Okay, if you do that again you'll break the piano." Trish said, pulling Ally's hands away. The songwriter then stood up and threw her hands up in the air.

"Well, how else am I supposed to let off steam?" she asked.

"You could try popping bubbles on bubble wrap." Ally just looked at Trish when she said that. "What? It's proven to relieve stress!" Trish defended.

Ally sighed and said, "I'm just so mad at Austin right now! I mean, why would he go to my father and interview Dallas and just ruin everything? Why is he so idiotic sometimes?"

"Since when is it idiotic to care?" Trish asked, her eyebrows raised. Ally stopped and looked at er friend, realization coming into view.

She was quiet for a moment before saying, "You're right. You're absolutely right, Trish. I mean, all he's really doing is caring for me. And I'm taking it as he's trying ruin my love life!" She sat down and put her head in her hands. "I'm a horrible friend, aren't I?"

Trish shook her head. "No, you're not! You're an awesome friend, Ally! Trust me, I would know."

Ally looked up and smiled slightly. "Thanks." But then her smile faded. "But does he _really_ have to interview Dallas?"

Trish bit her lip. "I agree, he's going about this the wrong way."

"I should lose Dallas' number now, because he's certainly not going to call afterward!" Ally exclaimed.

"Maybe it won't be that bad! And if you want I'll look at Austin's questions before he does it." Trish offered, but Ally shook her head.

"No, I'll do that. But thanks Trish. You're a great friend." She stood up and hugged one of her best friends, and Trish hugged right back.

"No problem. But I think you should know something about Austin."

"What _don't _I know about Austin? But sure, what is it?" Ally smiled.

"I can see that he _really_ cares about you, more than either he or you realizes." With that she turned and went out the door, leaving a confused Ally behind with only her thoughts.

**Oooh, a little wisdom with Trish! She knows people better than they know themselves! :D**

**Okay, if you all wondered where Ally's dad was in this chapter, let's say he's at another accordion convention! Haha He's not a very big character, and I can tell you right now he doesn't make very many appearances in this story!**

**Read&review :P**


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Ally woke up with a smile on her face, remembering her date with Dallas. But then reality hit her and she groaned outwardly. Today was the interview.

She got dressed and trudged to Sonic Boom, unlocking the door with her shoulders slumped. Why did Austin have to interview Dallas? Yes, it was sweet of him to look out for her. But an interview? Some things she'd _never_ get about her friend.

A short while after opening the store, Ally sat at the counter counting the cash register's money when Austin and Dez walked in. She took one look at the blond and frowned, putting down the dollar bills.

"Hey Ally!" Dez said as he came over. Austin stayed back by the door, pretending to be interested in a rack of guitars.

"Hi." Ally smiled. Her eyes then went to Austin, so she said, "Hey, could you watch the money for just a second?"

"Sure." Dez's eyes lit up at the sight of all the green. Ally raised her eyebrows.

"And don't you dare try to take any! Trust me, I'll know." Dez's face dropped.

"Fine." He groaned, slumping dramatically. Ally just rolled her eyes before making her way over to Austin.

"Hey, Austin." She said nicely, approaching him cautiously. She could tell right away that he was still upset with her from the night before. She sighed and said, "Look, I wanted to say that I'm sorry."

He still didn't look at her, his eyes trained on the acoustic in front of him. She waited for a moment then said, "Okay, I'm _really_ sorry!"

Still nothing. Although his hard expression seemed to soften. Ally then realized that he wasn't going to talk to her unless she said a full apology.

"I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. All you were trying to do was protect me, but I took it as you trying to destroy my relationship with Dallas. You're a great friend, and I can't think of anyone better for a partner."

A slight smile graced his lips when she said the last part. She was more hopeful, so she topped it with, "I'm really and truly sorry. Can you please forgive me and get this stupid interview over with?"

That got him. He turned to her with a bright smile on his face. "So you're okay with it?"

She looked unsure, but nodded. "Yes, I am. Just promise me the questions won't be _too_, you know, embarrassing?"

"I promise." She began to walk away, when he caught her arm. "And I guess I should say sorry as well. It's just, you're really important to me. It's hard to imagine life without you." Her eyes brightened at this, making him smile. "You deserve the best, and I'm going to make sure that Dallas is just that."

She just looked at him, adoration and admiration visible in her eyes. "Wow, Austin that's the nicest thing anyone has said to me. Ever." His smile grew. "Thank you."

He opened his mouth to respond, when Dez interrupted. "Austin! We have to go over the questions we're going to embarrass Ally with!"

Ally shot him a look, causing him to laugh. She turned back to Austin, who had an apologetic look on his face. She just waved him off and said, "Go. Ruin my life. I'll just be here, preparing myself for the humiliation that will occur."

"Sounds like a plan!" He said, patting her arm as he ran passed her toward the counter. She shook her head and went to the rack of guitars, adjusting a lop-sided one.

_~0~0~0~0~_

Not an hour later, there Dallas was. He came walking in with a smile on his face, obviously searching for Ally. He then found her, helping a customer. She saw him as well and waved, but her smile dropped when she saw Austin and Dez walk toward him.

"Dallas!" Austin said with a little too much enthusiasm, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Oh, hey. How's it goin?" He asked casually, with a hint of confusion in his voice. They rarely ever came up to him like this.

"Not bad. But we do need to ask you a few questions." Austin's face turned more serious, making Dez stifle a laugh. They were sure to make Dallas nervous and uncomfortable.

"A-a few questions?" Dallas asked, looking from Austin to Dez.

"Oh, don't worry. Nothing too serious." Dez said, walking him to the couch in the corner of the store. Dallas looked back at Ally, who sent him an apologetic look.

"Oh, poor Dallas." Ally whined to Trish. "He's never going to talk to me again after this!"

"Calm down." Trish said, watching the guys as well. "Let's just wait and see." Suddenly she pulled out a bag of popcorn and popped a piece into her mouth.

"Is that _really_ necessary?" Ally asked, staring at the bag.

"Of course! You can't watch a good show without popcorn! Want some?" She held the bag out to Ally, who shook her head.

"No! Now shh, they're starting." She said quickly.

Austin was the first to ask. "So, Dallas."

"Yeah?" Dallas asked, an unsure look on his face.

"I've noticed you hanging around here more often lately. Is it because of Ally?"

"Uh, yeah. She seems really cool, and I want to get to know her better."

Austin and Dez exchanged glances. "And what are your intentions with her?"

"Well, I don't want to hurt her, if that's what you mean." Austin just looked at him, when he asked, "Um, is this an interrogation or something?"

"We'll ask the questions here." Dez said, holding up a hand to silence him. "Now, do you have a criminal record?"

"What?" Dallas asked, alarmed. Ally saw and began chewing on her hair, not liking what was happening so far.

"It's a simple question." Dez said calmly, leaning back in his chair.

"No, definitely not." Dallas clarified quickly, sideways glancing at Austin. He was looking down at the floor, apparently lost in thought. Then he looked up again and asked, "Tell me, do you have respect for girls? And when I say girls, I mean Ally."

"Of course." Dallas replied, as if he'd said it a million times before. "I would never force her to do anything she didn't want to do."

Austin nodded, although he held a slight frown. Fortunately no one noticed.

The questions continued for a few more minutes, ranging from relevant things to random. But it finally came to a close, and Ally knew it when the three stood up.

Dez shook Dallas' hand. "It's been a pleasure. We'll let you know your results in a moment." With that he walked off to Ally and Trish.

Dallas, looking totally confused, started to follow him. But Austin had one thing left to say. He stopped the brunette, causing him to turn around.

"Dallas, you need to know one more thing." He leaned in closer, so nobody around them heard. "Ally is one of the most important people in my life. So if you make her cry, you'll have me to deal with."

Dallas nodded. "I promise, I won't. If she gives me a chance, and I'm hoping she will, then I swear I'll treat her right. The way she deserves."

Austin thought for a moment, before clapping him on the back and smiling at him. He then looked to Ally, who was waiting with bated breath, and motioned for her to come over.

She practically ran over, but tried to play it cool when she reached them. Austin looked back at Dallas and said, "You two kids have fun."

Dallas finally smiled again while Ally breathed a sigh of relief. She then took her date's awaiting hand and walked with him to the front doors. Although before they left, she turned back to Austin and mouthed the words "Thank you."

He grinned at her and watched her leave his sight. Although when they were gone, his smile dropped. He didn't know why, but at the moment a million emotions rushed through him. He suddenly regretted approving Dallas.

At that moment Dez came over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We make a good team, man."

Trish came over as well and asked, "So, was he good?"

Austin, whose eyes hadn't left the doors yet, said in a distant voice, "He was perfect." With that he turned and walked up to the practice room.

Dez and Trish watched as he closed the door. They then turned to each other. Dez looked confused while Trish had her eyebrows scrunched together.

"What's with him?"

She looked back up at the door. "I think I know."

"Should I go talk to him?"

Trish shook her head. "No, best leave him alone for now. Now come on, let's go to Suzy's for some soup!"

Dez's face lit up as he pulled a giant spoon out of his bookbag. "I'm always prepared for soup." He said with a determined expression.

Trish just laughed and they closed up the store, leaving Austin alone to fiure things out.

**There! Another chapter!**

**For those of you who were confused with the whole "Suzy's Soup" thing, just watch the newest episode and you'll understand! Haha**

**Read&review! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

"For you." Dallas said as he handed Ally a smoothie. She smiled and took it, taking a sip. They then sat down at a table in the middle of the mall.

"Mmm, this is really good!" Ally commented, looking down through her straw. Dallas just laughed, making her laugh as well.

When it was silent for a moment, he said, "Okay, do I even have to ask?"

Ally looked at him. "Ask what?"

He put down his cup and asked, "What _was_ that back there?" He motioned to Sonic Boom, which was about twenty feet away.

Ally followed his hand and, realizing what he was talking about, started slurping her smoothie. He laughed and raised his eyebrows. "Ally?"

She stopped and sighed. "Okay, I'll tell you. But promise me you won't be freaked out?"

He held his hands up. "I promise."

She took one last glance at the store before explaining, "Well, you know Austin and Dez. They're pretty much my best guy friends, especially Austin. And-" She stopped, a blush coming onto her cheeks.

Dallas smiled and held her hand. "Go on."

She looked at their hands and said, "You know how we went out last night, and Austin kind of interrupted us?"

"Oh, yeah. I remember." Dallas said in a flat tone.

"Apparently he discussed our…dating situation with my dad, and they agreed that I couldn't go out with you until Austin got to know you better. So, in their own weird way, they thought an interview would be a good way of finding out who you are."

"Seriously?" Dallas asked, his eyes bigger than usual.

Ally nodded. "Yep. But the good news is you were approved!" She smiled at him, hoping for something. He just sat there, and she got the horrible feeling that he was going to break it off before it even began.

Suddenly she couldn't take it anymore and blurted out, "You're not going to lose my number now, are you?"

His head snapped up from his trance. "What?"

She breathed out and stood up. "Well, I understand if you're too creeped out to keep going out with me. I mean, an interrogation on the second day would be enough to scare anyone off."

He stood up as well and held her at arm's length. "Ally, I'm not going to end it with you."

She just looked at him, a small smile on her face. "Wha-Really?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Of course not. I'd be an idiot to lose such an amazing girl as you, and I can at least say that I'm no idiot."

"So you're not overwhelmed?"

He looked to the side. "I'll admit it was a little…much. But I don't care. I want to see where this goes with you. And I'm hoping it goes far."

She smiled. "Me too." He wrapped his arms around her, sending tingles all throughout her body. After a minute they pulled away, smiling like fools.

She picked up their smoothies and, handing his to him, said, "Whoo. I'm so relieved that Austin and Dez didn't scare you off."

He chuckled. "Yeah. You're lucky to have such great friends. What are they, like brothers to you?"

She looked off into the distance, thinking. "Well, I'd say that about Dez. But for some reason, not Austin." Dallas' smile dropped at this. "We're best friends, but the word 'brotherly' doesn't come to mind with Austin. He's more like my partner in crime." She chuckled at the last part.

Dallas stared at the ground before saying, "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, anything." She smiled.

"Have you and Austin ever…?" He trailed off at the end, and it took a second for her to figure what he was talking about, but when she did her eyes went wider.

"What? No! No, we've never!" She clarified, shaking her head. "Dallas, we've only ever been friends!"

He still looked unsure, but nodded his head. "Well, I trust you. And if you say it never happened, then it never happened."

She breathed out. "Good. No, we're only friends. And I'm sure that's how it's going to stay."

He smiled at her then looked down at his wrist, checking the time. "We better get a move on if we want to catch the movie in time." She nodded and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, them walking to the theater.

_~0~0~0~0~_

Trish sat at the other end of the table, lost in thought, while Dez was slurping his soup obnoxiously. Suddenly she looked at the clock on the wall and said, "You think it's been enough time to leave Austin alone?"

Dez stopped drinking his soup and put his bowl down on the table, next to the four others. "Well, considering this is my fifth bowl of soup, it's been about…fifteen minutes."

Trish sighed. "_Only _fifteen minutes? How is it you can eat so much so fast?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, but I think I'll order another." He motioned for a waiter to come over, but Trish stood up.

"I don't care if it's only been a short while; I think we should go talk to Austin." She pulled out her wallet and put money on the table, paying for Dez's food.

"But what about my soup?" he asked, looking up at her.

She just stared at him. "Isn't five bowls enough?" She asked in disbelief.

He looked to the side and laughed. "Oh Trish, you should know better by now. There is never _enough_ for soup!"

She rolled her eyes and pulled his arm, practically dragging him out of Suzy's Soup. They, slowly, made their way over to Sonic Boom and unlocked the doors.

By then Dez complained enough for Trish to stop dragging him, so she let go and closed the doors.

"Was that necessary?" He asked, brushing himself off.

"Of course! You should know better by now." She said sarcastically, mimicking him from before. He narrowed his eyes at her before they went up the stairs and to the door of the practice room.

But right as they were about to knock, the door swung open and Austin walked out looking fine as ever. "Hey guys." He said casually, passing them to get to the lower level of the store.

Trish and Dez just stared after him before exchanging glances and following him.

"H-hey Austin." Trish said cautiously. "Is everything okay?"

Austin turned to her with a corked eyebrow. "Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?"

She looked at Dez for a second before saying, "Well, you seemed a little…upset earlier."

"Oh, I did? Hmm, weird." He shrugged, flipping through one of her magazines that she had left from earlier.

Trish breathed out and walked back to Dez, motioning for him to try and talk to the blonde singer. Dez looked unsure but still went over to his best friend.

"Austin? I need to ask you an important question." He said seriously, giving the thumbs up to Trish while Austin wasn't looking. She too showed thumbs up and waited to see where he was going with this. Maybe he could be mature after all.

"What's up?" Austin asked, facing his red haired friend.

Dez took a moment before asking, "Should I take up golf?"

Trish sighed. She was _so_ wrong about him being mature for even a second. "Dez, go stand in the corner!" She exclaimed, pointing to the corner in the far left of the store.

He was about to protest, but just slumped his shoulders and walked over to where she was pointing. She waited until he was there before turning to a confused Austin.

"Austin, what's up?" She asked, wanting desperately to get to the point already.

He looked slightly annoyed. "I already told you; nothing!" He began to walk away, but she grabbed his arm.

"So, Dallas passing your stupid interview has absolutely nothing to do with your strange behavior?" she asked, her eyebrows raised.

He hesitated before saying, "No." Then his face grew softer. "Look, if there was anything wrong I would tell you. But since there isn't, I have nothing to tell you!"

She seemed to be thinking for a moment when she finally let go of his arm. "Fine, there's nothing up. But when you're ready to confess anything, and I _know_ you will be sometime in the future!" He rolled his eyes when hearing this, but she ignored it and continued. "Promise me I'll be the first you'll tell?"

He reluctantly looked at her and said, "I promise. But I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Sure." She said sarcastically, before turning to Dez's back. "Dez, you can come out now!"

He turned around and smiled, walking over to them. "So seriously, should I take up golf?"

Austin just laughed and shook his head while Trish walked off to the side. She grabbed her purse off the couch, but looked back at the guys. What she thought couldn't really be true, could it?

She stood there staring at Austin, totally lost in thought. Was Austin falling for Ally? No, impossible. They were just friends. Being anything more would jeopardize their relationship, and Team Austin couldn't risk it.

But as she thought on, Trish wondered if that was going to stop Austin's feelings for her friend. Finally, after thinking so much which was something she _never_ did, she decided that she'd just have to wait and see.

**I wanted to show some of Trish's perspective in this chapter. It seems like she's the only one who realizes Austin's true feelings, when he doesn't himself! :P**

**Read&review! Haha**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, status report! To be honest, this story is moving faster than I thought it would! Which is good, I guess, and I plan to update A LOT!**

**But I'm writing this brief message to tell you guys that in this story…the Auslly will be on hold for about two or three chapters! I know, I know it's crazy! This **_**is **_**a love story between them! Haha But I have plans for this and that means some changes! You might not get it right now, but you'll see by the end! :P**

**And you don't need to worry, because like I said I'll be updating very frequently! So the NO AUSLLYNESS will fly by. :D I just want to show Ally's relationship with Dallas better and…oh you'll see in great time! Patience is a virtue! Haha**

**Alright, now that that's over, back to the story! By the way, thanks for all the awesome reviews! You all are the absolute BEST!**

It had been a few weeks since the interview, and everything was starting to seem fine again. Ally and Dallas were getting more serious, Dez took up golf but quit after two hours, Trish had been fired from countless jobs. But most of all, Austin didn't act weird around the subject of Ally and Dallas anymore.

Trish noticed this and decided: maybe she was wrong about her theory about Austin having more-than-friendly feelings for Ally. They continued to come up with a new song every week, Austin and Dez got into their usual antics and the two always had each other's backs in random situations. It was like it had always been before Dallas came, and she was glad.

Still, she secretly thought Austin felt _something_ for his songwriter. No normal friend acted that way after interviewing their best/opposite gender friend's crush. Come to think of it, no normal friend even interviewed their best/opposite gender friend's crush! But she realized long ago that Team Austin was anything but normal!

Ally currently sat at the practice room piano, scribbling something down in her songbook. Ever since she started dating Dallas, she was overloaded with inspiration. But she wasn't complaining or anything!

Suddenly the door opened and in walked Trish, texting away on her phone. She absentmindedly went to the fridge and pulled out a bottled water, eyes never leaving the tiny screen.

"Hey." Ally greeted, finally looking up from the page full of ink. "What's up?"

"Well, I just got fired from the pet store _again_." Trish sighed, closing her phone.

Ally chuckled and put her pen down next to her book. "I'm surprised they even gave you a job after what happened last time." Trish just looked at her, so she smiled brightly and said, "I love your hair today!"

Trish smiled sarcastically at her. "Nice save." She took a sip of water and said, "So what's new with you?"

Ally suddenly smiled and stared off into space. "Nothing. And everything! Oh Trish, everything's absolutely perfect!"

"Hmm, I wonder who brought this dazed and not at all weird attitude up." Trish asked in mock curiosity.

Ally, being oblivious to her sarcasm said in a dreamy voice, "Dallas."

Trish rolled her eyes. "I know Ally!" She then came over and sat on the piano bench next to her friend. "So, give me the deets!"

Ally closed her book and smiled, "Well, last night he and I played mini golf. Then we went for a walk under the moonlight in the park, and he walked me home."

Trish just looked at her, expecting more. When she didn't get any, she asked with raised eyebrows, "And?"

"And nothing. That was it!" Ally was still smiling and stood, grabbing her book and walking across the room.

"Ally!" Trish exclaimed, following her. "You two didn't do _anything_ else?"

Ally looked confused. "What else was there?"

Trish rolled her eyes and pretended to think before saying, "Oh, I don't know, how about kiss?" Ally was silent, and that's when realization hit her. "You two haven't kissed yet?"

"Pssh, what? I-I never said that!" Ally lied, but Trish could see right through it.

"Didn't Austin interrupt you and Dallas a few weeks ago, and you were about to kiss then?" Ally nodded. "He hasn't tried to kiss you again?"

Ally sighed, "Well, the moment never came again. I mean, sure. There've been a lot of times where he could've, but the moment needs to be perfect!"

Trish face palmed, earning a confused look from her best friend. "What?"

"Ally, a kiss is a kiss. It doesn't matter when you do it, it matters if you actually do it or not! You two have been dating for, what, a month now?" Ally smiled goofily and nodded. "If you haven't kissed yet, that means you're just not _that_ close."

She began to walk away, when Ally caught her arm and stopped her. "We're close! And it does too matter when it happens! I don't believe Dallas and I have to kiss in order to make our feelings official."

"Then why did you stop me just now?" Trish asked, her eyebrows raised yet again. Ally opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Trish smiled knowingly and said, "It's because you know I'm right!"

Ally sighed and let go of Trish's arm. "Okay, you're right. Since you know everything about relationships, tell me what to do with Dallas!"

Trish patted her arm and motioned for her to sit down again. They did just that and she said, "Okay, what you need to do is get him in a romantic atmosphere. Then the moment will feel right and he'll kiss you, simple as that."

Ally nodded, her eyebrows scrunched together. "Okay, I guess that's easy enough." She then smiled sweetly at Trish. "Thanks, I really owe you one."

Trish smiled as well. "Great! How does twenty bucks sound?"

Ally had her mouth open. "Trish!" she said in disbelief.

Trish laughed and wrapped and arm around her. "I'm joking, I'm joking! Now go get that kiss!" Ally laughed as well and hugged her.

_~0~0~0~0~_

Dallas walked down the mall, his phone in his hand. He had just received a text from Ally, saying to meet him in Sonic Boom. He was confused, but didn't disagree at all. He always loved seeing her.

After entering the store, he found it deserted. But then something caught his eye. It was a sign that pointed up the stairs to the practice room. He had only ever glanced up there before, never went in.

He smiled and slowly went up the steps, opening the door. Although what he found was a total surprise.

The room was dimly lit with candles all around. Soft music was coming from speakers that hung on the walls, and Dallas saw that there were rose petals scattered on the floor.

All of a sudden Ally walked out of what looked like a closet, and automatically smiled at him. "Oh, hey Dallas." She said, in a voice that was lower than her usual voice.

"Hey Alls, what's going on in here?" He asked, motioning to the rest of the room.

She just laughed and came closer to him. "Nothing much. Here, have a seat." She then pulled him down to two bean bag chairs he hadn't noticed until right then.

"Okay." He said unsurely. She then picked up two wine glasses filled with red liquid that were sitting on the floor. His eyes widened at the sight, where she just chuckled.

"Don't worry, it's only grape juice." She smiled, handing one to him. He smiled as well and took a sip, although her eyes never left him. He slowly stopped and just looked at her.

"Are you alright?" He asked, clear concern in his eyes.

She looked at him innocently. "Yeah, why?"

"You seem…different today." He said simply, staring into her eyes. But before she could say anything in return, he said, "Although I'll admit that you have _really_ pretty eyes."

She smiled at him, only noticing then that they were slowly leaning in closer and closer to each other...

_~0~0~0~0~_

Meanwhile Trish, Dez and Austin were sitting in the mall cafeteria, discussing the latest with Austin's music career.

"Okay, how is Ally coming with the song? Because I need to get started on this video if it's going to air on Friday." Dez said, looking at Trish.

"Wow, are you _actually_ taking responsibility? I never thought I'd see the day!" She exclaimed sarcastically.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You know, you hold a lot of sarcasm for such a small person!"

She smiled proudly and took a sip of her drink. "I'm may be little, but I'm also mighty!" Then she turned serious and looked directly at him. "So don't get in my way."

His eyes went wide when Austin interrupted by asking, "Speaking of Ally, where is she?"

"Oh, she's trying to get her first kiss with Dallas. She's going to try to woo him. We set up candles and dim lighting and everything romantic!" Trish laughed. "It was _my_ idea."

"They haven't had their first kiss yet?" Dez asked, obviously surprised. "That's weird. They've been together for, like, four weeks!"

Trish took this as a chance to steal a glance at Austin. But he seemed fine, absolutely unfazed by Ally trying to kiss Dallas. She just gave up and turned to Dez.

"I know. You'd think they would by now." She just shrugged and took another sip of her soda.

_~0~0~0~0~_

Ally and Dallas leaned in closer and closer, only centimeters apart. And this time she was sure that Austin wouldn't come bursting in. At least she hoped he wouldn't.

She was getting anxious now. The moment leading up to the kiss seemed to take an eternity, and she was growing impatient. Oh well, in a matter of seconds she would be kissing Dallas. And she was totally fine with that.

But then the worst possible thing happened at that moment. Just as they were about to touch, she felt a cold substance fall into her lap. She suddenly leaped up, smacking him in the forehead, and yelped. It turned out to be the grape juice.

"Are you serious?" She exclaimed, looking down at her now soaked skirt. She could not believe her luck.

Then she looked at Dallas, who was holding his head in his hand. She forgot all about her stained clothes and bent down, worry written all over her face.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" She asked with scrunched eyebrows.

"Yeah I-I'm fine." He said, finally lifting his head. "Is it bad?" He asked, motioning to his forehead.

She took one look and her eyes went wide. In the middle of his forehead, a giant red mark was beginning to form. Not only red, but it was purple as well. So it meant a bruise. But the worst part was that it was in the form of her hand, so there was no doubt that she had caused it.

But to spare him, she decided to tell a white lie. "N-no, it's totally fine." He smiled at her and she helped him up, so they stood in the middle of the room together.

She grabbed a remote off the top of the piano and pushed a button, turning off the romantic music and brightening the room. It didn't help that Dallas' wound looked worse in light.

She dropped the remote down on the bean bag and sighed, looking down at her now grape colored skirt. "This is just great." She said sarcastically, motioning to it.

"Well, maybe if you act now you'll be able to get the stain out-"

She groaned. "I wasn't talking about the skirt." He stopped mid-sentence and just looked at her, confused. She looked at him through unmistakably sad eyes and said, "I ruined the moment!"

"What moment?" He asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Our moment! The perfect moment where we finally lean in and have our first kiss!" Realization hit him and he muttered an "Oh."

"Yeah, and now who knows when we'll have another moment? I sure don't!" She threw her hands up in frustration, almost hitting him again. He dodged it and they were silent for a minute, before he started chuckling.

She looked at him in disbelief, wondering how he could be laughing at a time like this. He then motioned to their current situation, but she still didn't get it.

"What? Why are you laughing? This is _not _a funny matter!" He continued and she rolled her eyes. "Oh, are you one of those people who always take the best out of a bad situation? Like thinking that laughing can just fix anything?"

When his only answer was more chuckling, she just stared at him. But then, seeing how cute and happy he looked, she finally cracked and she couldn't help but laugh as well. Who cares if their moment was ruined? They would be sure to have plenty more, so why not laugh now?

They continued to laugh for a few more minutes when they started to grow out of breath and had to stop. But even after that they were still giggling.

"Sorry for freaking out earlier." She confessed, her face redder than usual.

"Don't apologize, you had a right to. Our moment _was_ ruined, but another one took its place." He smiled.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She agreed. "And forced moments aren't that great anyway."

He nodded, staring into her eyes. She stared back, and they both were getting lost in each other's. Then Dallas did the best thing he could do. He leaned in quickly and kissed her. He finally kissed her.

She was surprised at first, but eagerly responded to him. This was her first kiss, but she couldn't have dreamed it more perfect than this.

After a few seconds, they pulled away. They smiled at each other, completely in bliss with one another.

"Wow." She breathed.

He smiled and leaned in again, pecking her lips. "Ally, will you be my girlfriend?" He asked out of the blue.

She was caught off guard, but smiled brightly. "Wasn't I already your girlfriend?" She asked, her eyebrow corked.

He smiled shyly and chuckled. "I guess. But let's make it official."

She shook her head and kissed him again. "You didn't even have to ask. Of course I will!"

They both laughed and laid down on the bean bag chairs, arms wrapped around each other. They couldn't have been happier than they were at this moment.

But little did she know...Dallas wasn't the guy to make her the happiest girl on Earth. Although she was fine right then, completely blind to the events ahead of her.

**Done! Haha**

**Okay, so I guess there was a **_**little**_** Auslly in there. But there was major Ally/Dallas cuteness there, even if most of you didn't like it. But like I said, just wait and see! :3 AUSLLY FTW!**

**Read&review, because you all rock! :P**


	7. Chapter 7

Ally quietly hummed to herself while she dusted off a rack of banjos, lost in a state of bliss. She didn't even notice the two boys, Austin and Dez, having a candy bar eating contest by the counter.

"Okay, you know the rules. First one to eat more chocolate under a minute wins!" Austin said, staring at the candy bar currently in his hand.

"Wins what exactly?" Ally asked over her shoulder. She had finally seen them.

"The satisfying feeling of having conquered the other!" Austin exclaimed, smiling confidently.

"And that's it?" Ally had her eyebrows raised. There had to be something more in it for the winner.

"Well, that and this awesome victory belt!" Suddenly there was a giant belt in Dez's hands, one very similar to a wrestling belt. The only differences were that it wasn't professionally made and that it said _Awesome Victory Belt_ written in gold letters.

"I should've guessed." Ally smiled, rolling her eyes before getting back to work.

At that moment the doors opened, revealing a smiling Trish. She had on a new uniform, one different from the day before.

"Guess who got-" She began.

"Wait, let me tell this out!" Ally said quickly, interrupting her friend. Trish stopped and just looked at her, waiting for her to talk.

Ally walked over and put an arm around her, facing the guys. "Trish is going to say she just got hired at some new store, promise she'll try to keep this one, never go and take super long breaks and end it with getting fired! But it'll all be okay because she'll have a new job by tomorrow!"

Trish thought for a moment before shrugging. "Yep, sounds about right!"

Ally smiled, proud of herself while Austin and Dez came over. "Um, do you mind? We're trying to have a contest here!" Dez said, looking straight at Trish.

"Oh, is it who's the dumber one? Because you already win by a landslide!" She said sarcastically, smiling sweetly at him.

He just rolled his eyes. "No, it's to see who can eat more candy bars in under a minute!" He turned to Austin. "Ready?"

"One sec!" Austin replied, pulling a stopwatch out of his pocket. He then called Ally over and handed it to her. "Do you mind?" He asked hopefully.

She sighed and said, "No. Just finish up before I realize you two are eating in the store and kick you out." Austin looked at her funny, when she explained, "I'm giving you a free-bee! But just this once, so go!"

She clicked a button on the timer, and the guys got to work. Soon a minute was up and she yelled "STOP!"

Austin and Dez stared at her with chocolate around their mouths, waiting to see who the winner was. She counted the wrappers and held off for a second, making them suffer.

"Ally!" They yelled in unison, earning a laugh out of her.

"Okay! The winner is…Dez!" She exclaimed, handing the bright colored belt to the red haired teen. He did his 'happy dance' and Austin's shoulders drooped slightly.

"Wow, winner of the candy bar _and_ hamburger eating contest? I don't know how you do it!" Austin smiled, genuinely happy for his friend's triumph.

Dez just shrugged when Ally came over with a few napkins. "Yeah yeah, he's amazing. Now wipe yourselves off before my dad comes back and sees this mess."

She playfully started to wipe Austin's mouth and he smacked her hand away, causing them both to laugh. But as that happened, Dallas came walking into the store. And he saw the two being…close with each other.

"Hey, what's going on in here?" He asked, staring at Ally and Austin. He said it in a polite tone, but Austin sensed some jealousy behind his words. Luckily Ally didn't notice.

"Oh hi!" She smiled, her face brightening at the sight of her boyfriend. He raised his eyebrows, and she realized his question. "Nothing much. Just a little contest." She put down the napkins and walked over to him, pecking him on the cheek.

"Little?" Dez asked, causing Trish to elbow him in the ribs. He yelped, but the couple didn't see.

Suddenly Ally had an idea. "Guys," she said, turning to her friends. "This is Dallas, my _boyfriend_."

"We already know who Dallas is." Dez stated, confused. Trish sighed at his comment and said, "I'm pretty sure the last part is new." She then smiled at her best friend and asked, "So, when did this happen?"

"Yesterday, that's when we made it official!" Ally smiled, hanging onto Dallas' arm. Then she turned to Austin, who still hadn't said anything. "And it's good, because you approved him. Right?" She was still so oblivious around him.

He was silent for a second before smiling. "Of course." He then walked over to the happy couple and held his hand out to Dallas. "Congratulations man."

Dallas looked at his hand before shaking it and smiling. "Thanks."

Meanwhile Ally just smiled at them with her hands clasped together. "This is so great. My best guy friend and my boyfriend, shaking hands. What more could a girl want?"

"A million bucks." Trish mumbled from behind.

Ally chuckled. "Yeah, that too. But this is good enough for me." She motioned again to the boys while Austin let go of Dallas' hand.

"As much fun as this was, I have to go." Austin said, grabbing his jacket off the counter.

"Wait, why?" Ally asked, looking disappointed. Austin looked back at her and smiled.

"I have to go, uh…meet someone. I'll see you later." He patted her arm when passing her and left, leaving only the four with the rest of the customers.

"I wonder who he's going to meet." Ally asked, looking from one person to the other.

Dallas shrugged and wrapped an arm around her. "I'm sure if it was important he'd tell you." Ally nodded.

"Yeah, you're right." Then a random light bulb went off in her head. "Oh, Dez! I'm done with the song!"

Dez smiled. "Great! Let's see that bad boy and get a feel for what I'm doing video wise." He clapped his hands together and followed her to the counter. They went over the song while Trish stood alone with Dallas.

"They're pretty close, aren't they?" Dallas, referring to Austin and Ally, asked her although it sounded more like a statement than a question.

Trish nodded. "Yeah. I don't think _anything_ can tear their friendship apart." She hated confessing it, but he had to hear it.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Dallas muttered, staring down at his feet. Trish looked at him with sympathy, when she got an idea.

"But," she began, causing his head to spring up. "I've suffered _many_ phone conversations with her, and the topic is always you. She's absolutely head over heels for you." She usually didn't do nice things for people, but since Ally liked him so much she figured she would.

As she said that, Dallas grew a giant smile on his face. Trish couldn't help but smile as well as Ally came back over.

"Sorry about that. Dez really needed the song, but now I'm all yours." She smiled, looking at Dallas. He just leaned in and captured her lips with his own, sending sparks between them.

After he pulled away, she was breathless. "What was that for?" She asked, staring up at him.

"Nothing. I'm just really glad I have you on my arm." He confessed, pressing a kiss to her temple.

She smiled. "Well, I'm glad I'm here too. It's comfy." She snuggled closer to him, which earned him to chuckle.

Trish smiled at them. "I think I'll leave you two alone before my lunch comes back up. You lovebirds have fun, but not too much!" She said, making Ally and Dallas roll their eyes and smile. She shook her head and went over to Dez.

_~0~0~0~0~_

The next day Ally stood at the counter, writing something down in her songbook. She had gotten a sudden burst of inspiration while helping a customer. She hated to admit that she kinda…sorta…told the guy the wrong directions to the ear doctor when she was rushing herself. But oh well, right?

"Hey, you're out of water up there!" Trish said as she walked down the stairs, pointing to the practice room.

"Yeah, I know." Ally said, closing her book. Then she smiled at her friend. "Maybe you could go to the store and get more for me?"

"Only if you have money." Trish said matter-of-factly, holding out her hand. Ally sighed and went into her pocket, pulling out a twenty.

"Here, but _only_ for necessities." Ally told her, trying her best to look stern.

"Yeah yeah, whatever." Trish waved her off, staring at the bill.

Suddenly Ally sneezed, making her jump. "Whoa, warn somebody before you do that!" Trish exclaimed, turning around to face her.

"Sorry, it's just allergies." Ally said, wiping her nose with a tissue. "It'll blow over."

Trish just nodded and went back to staring at the twenty when Dallas walked in. Ally smiled at him, but it dropped when she saw he had a suitcase in his hand.

"What's that?" She asked, pointing to it.

He chuckled and raised his eyebrows. "You've never seen a suitcase before?"

She rolled her eyes and came out from behind the counter. "You know what I meant. Are you going somewhere?"

"Yeah. I'm visiting my grandparents in Orlando." He said, putting it down on the floor.

She looked disappointed. "Well, how long will you be gone?"

"About two weeks?" He said, thinking for a minute. She sighed and looked at the ground. He noticed how upset she was and wrapped her in a hug.

"Don't worry, Ally. I'll be back before you know it. And think of it this way," He pulled away just far enough to look her in the eyes. "You can enjoy the time to yourself for a little bit."

"If by enjoy you mean wait until you get home, then yeah! I'll definitely do that!" she responded with fake enthusiasm. He chuckled and she smiled at him. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too." He said, before planting a soft kiss on her lips.

Suddenly they heard a car's horn in the distance outside the store. Dallas looked in the direction and turned back to a sad looking Ally. "That's my cue."

She kissed him once more on his cheek and picked up his suitcase, handing it to him. "Promise you'll call me?"

"As often as I can." He smiled, cupping her cheek. They heard the horn again, and he let go of her. Casting one last look at her, he finally exited Sonic Boom.

She stared after him, hanging her head and sighing. Trish came out of the practice room again, to find a depressed Ally sitting at the counter.

"Why so glum chum?" She asked, sitting on the counter.

"Dallas is gone for two weeks visiting his grandparents in Orlando." Ally said, staring at the countertop.

Trish sighed and patted her friend's hand. "That's a tough break, kid." All Ally did was nod in agreement. Trish looked at her for a second before hopping off the counter and facing her again. "But do you _really _think Dallas would want you to sit around and mope the whole time?"

Ally was silent before raising her head. "You know what? You're absolutely right!"

Trish flipped her hair. "I keep saying that, but everyone seems to forget!"

Ally rolled her eyes and smiled. "Dallas would want me to just live life normally, as I usually do. So, what do you want to talk about?"

But Trish was currently staring at the door. "Um, how about that?" She asked, pointing to the couple who had just walked in.

Ally turned to see Austin walk into Sonic Boom. But he wasn't alone. Holding his left hand was a girl who she'd never seen before. But she was definitely going to find out.

**Yes, Dallas is going to be gone for about two chapters. I know, I just said there was going to be more Ally/Dallas. But I decided against it, and you'll see SOME Auslly in the chapters the boyfriend is gone! Just a heads up… :P**

**So, yeah! Read&review!**

**(Oh, and if you were confused with why Ally sneezed out of the blue, well, you'll see! Haha I love doing that to people! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Ally and Trish stared at the couple who just walked into Sonic Boom; Austin and Mystery Girl.

"Who do you think she is?" Trish asked after a while.

Ally just shook her head. Then she smiled. "Hey, do you think they're _together_ together?" She elbowed Trish slightly, making a point.

Trish just looked at her. Then she pretended to think about it. "Hmm, let's see; they're holding hands and flirting. Nope, I don't think they're _together_ together!"

Ally raised her eyebrows. "Alright, snippy." Suddenly she smacked Trish's arm.

"Ow! What the-"

"Shh! They're coming over!" Ally whisper shouted before whipping out her song book and pretending to write in it. Trish gave her a funny look just as Austin and his girl approached them.

"Hey guys." He said nonchalantly, waving at them.

"Oh, Austin!" Ally exclaimed, looking up at him. "When did you get here? I had no idea you were here! Right Trish?" When she didn't get an answer, she elbowed her friend. "Trish!"

"Oh, right!" Trish said quickly. "No idea."

Austin gave them a weird look. "Okay then."

Ally smiled at him and then looked at the girl. "_So_, Austin, who's your friend?"

Trish crossed her arms and pursed her lips. "Yeah, Austin. Who is she?"

Austin ignored Trish and said, "This is Emily. She's new in the area, so I'm showing her around."

Ally smiled at her and held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Ally. My family owns this store!" Emily smiled as well and shook her hand.

"Hi." She said politely. Then she turned to Trish. "And you are?"

Trish looked her up and down before saying flatly, "I'm Trish." Then she had an idea. She put on a fake smile and said, "Hey, why doesn't Ally show you the, uh…new shipment of flutes that just came in!"

They all just looked at her. "What do you mean-"

Trish just pushed Ally in the direction of the flutes. "Go on, Ally! Show her!" Ally looked at her for a moment before shrugging and leading Emily to the flutes, looking back every so often. Trish waited until they were out of earshot before pulling Austin aside.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked him, staring at him with a fire in her eyes.

Austin looked shocked and confused mixed together. "What do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes and said, "With that…Emily! Don't you think you should _talk_ to me about something before going out with some random girl?"

True, she was beginning to think that Austin didn't feel anything but friendly feelings for Ally. But she wasn't about to let him go out with another girl until she was absolutely sure of it.

Austin rolled his eyes and sighed. "I already told you; there's _nothing_ to talk about! So get off my back, will you?" He turned and walked away, over to Ally and Emily.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Emily asked as he came over.

He nodded, casting a glance back in Trish's direction. Then his expression softened. "So, how are the…flutes?"

Ally chuckled. "They're fine, as fine as flutes can be I guess." Austin smiled at her statement and she said, "So, how do you know each other?"

Emily was the one to speak. "Well, I was the Melody Diner. He was my waiter." She leaned her head on Austin's shoulder, making him grin inelegantly at her. "When I heard his voice I fell instantly."

Ally smiled. "Aw, that's so romantic!" Austin swallowed and just looked at her, but she didn't seem to notice.

Suddenly they all heard a beeping noise. Emily looked down to see her phone was ringing. "Oh, I'm sorry, I have to take this." She stepped away, leaving Austin and Ally alone.

As soon as she left, Ally smacked his arm. "Ow!" he exclaimed, holding his injury and looking at her with wide eyes.

"How come you haven't told me about her yet? From the looks of it, you've known each other for a while!" Ally said, staring at him intensely.

He sighed. "I didn't think it was _that_ big a deal!"

Her expression softened. "Austin, _of course_ it's a big deal. You have a girlfriend!" He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "And as your best friend, I _have_ to know these things." He looked at her again. "I'm happy for you."

"I know, and I'm sorry." Austin smiled.

"You should be." Ally chuckled. "From now on tell me everything important that goes on in your life, okay?"

He nodded, laughing. "I promise." She began to walk away, but he caught her arm. "Wait," he said as she turned around again. "What do, you know, think of her?" She thought it was a harmless, common question one friend would ask another. But that was only because she didn't the _real_ reasons behind it.

"She's cute!" She answered honestly. She didn't know this made his heart sink slightly. "She's nice, funny, now if she's musical you'd be a perfect match!"

Austin bit his lip. "That's the thing." He glanced at Emily before saying, "She can't carry a tune to save her life. And instruments is another problem!"

Ally scrunched her eyebrows together. "Ooh, really? Well…she's still cute!" She walked back to the counter, not seeing the somewhat longing look Austin cast in her direction.

Ally met Trish at the counter. "So, what went on without me?" Trish asked, not even looking up from her magazine.

Ally shrugged. "Not much. Emily seems really nice, though."

Trish shook her head. "I don't like her. She doesn't seem right for Austin."

Ally shrugged again, but suddenly let out a big sneeze. This made Trish jump, finally tearing her eyes away from the magazine in front of her. "Whoa, are you still alive?" she asked, turning to her friend.

Ally laughed, pushing the hair out of her face. "Yeah, I'm fine. I told you, allergies."

Trish nodded her head, although she seemed unconvinced. "Okay, if you say so."

Just then Austin and Emily came over, his arm around her. "Hey, we're gonna go grab something to eat. You guys wanna come?" Austin asked them.

Ally glanced at Emily. "Uh, don't you two want to be _alone_?"

Austin gave her a weird, nonchalant look. "No, we don't mind. Right?" He looked at Emily.

Trish and Ally could tell _she_ did, but she was too polite to say anything. "Um, no. You guys can come!"

Ally was about to say no, making up that she was too busy, but Trish grabbed her arm. "We'd love to!"

Austin smiled. "Awesome, let's go!" They turned, Ally leaning closer to Trish.

"What are you doing? Can't you see she wants to be alone with him?" Ally whispered.

Trish waved her off. "She said she was okay with it! And I'm hungry!"

Ally looked unsure but followed anyway, not denying that she too was kinda hungry. Plus she'd get to hang out with Austin and Trish _and_ get to know Emily better. What could go wrong?

_~0~0~0~0~_

"I can't believe you eat salsa with your nacho chips!" Austin exclaimed, looking at Ally's plate.

"I can't believe you eat cheese with yours!" She countered back, defending her choice of a side.

"Cheese is good." He stated simply. "And it tastes awesome on anything! Bread, pizza, popcorn!"

"Yeah, well salsa is a kind of dance! I don't see anyone doing 'The Cheese'!" She said, triumph written on her face.

They were currently sitting at one of the tables in the mall food court, Austin and Ally sitting across from each other. Emily went to the bathroom and Trish just watched her friends in amusement, their banter back and forth.

"What about this. I'll agree with your decision if I can have some." Austin suggested, reaching over and taking a chip from her plate.

"Hey!" She laughed, attempting to grab it back. But he had already eaten it, making her mock pout. He noticed and took one of his own chips, dipping it in her cheese and putting some on her nose. She gaped her mouth at him, but was laughing all the same, making him smile at her.

Unfortunately they hadn't noticed Emily come back. And she had seen the whole, flirty event, but of course Ally was oblivious to it.

"What's going on here?" She chuckled, although it had a hint of jealousy in it.

Trish smiled up at her. "Austin and Ally are just goofing off, like they _always_ do!"

"Like they always do?" Emily questioned, but by then Austin had her chair pulled out for her.

"Why don't you sit down?" He suggested, wanting to change the subject. She looked at him before doing what he said, glancing at Ally for a moment.

"So, how long has you family owned Sonic Boom?" Emily asked Ally, smiling again.

"Well, my dad opened it when I was about twelve. And it's been _booming_ ever since!" She elbowed Trish, laughing at her own joke. "Am I right?" She asked, still laughing.

Meanwhile the others just gave her weird looks, but Austin had a smile to his, chuckling along with her. "Wow." He chuckled, looking down at his food.

When she realized no one was laughing, she looked down at her lap and said softly, "It's been a great success."

Emily awkwardly nodded. "Well...that's good to hear! From what I've seen of it, it's wonderful."

Ally smiled at her. "Thanks. I'd say it's something to be proud of."

Emily suddenly looked curious. "And what was that room at the top of the stairs? Is it storage or something?"

Ally realized what she was talking about and shook her head. "Oh! No, that's our practice room." She motioned to Austin when saying that. "It's where we write his songs."

Emily suddenly looked a bit uptight. "Oh, right, Austin has told me about your little arrangement."

Austin nodded. "Yep, she writes the songs and I sing them. But I have to say that I'd literally be _nowhere_ without Ally. She's the absolute best!"

Ally shook her head in modesty. "No, Austin is the true star here. My songs would be nowhere without _him_!"

Austin smiled at her, and that's when Emily noticed a slight sparkle in his eyes. One that she'd never seen directed toward her. One that showed just how much he cared for the one Ally Dawson. But instead, she decided to ignore it and smile.

"Oh, that's nice. It's great how you two are such good friends!" Emily commented.

Suddenly Austin looked down. "Yep, we're great _friends_." He muttered, taking a bite of a chip.

Emily looked at him, sighing. Was she _really_ seeing what she thought she was? No, of course not. Austin liked _her_. Right?

**First let me say…I'M SO SORRY! I promise I'll never let you guys hanging that long again! Haha I've just been busy with other stories and a bit of family drama, so please excuse me!**

**And I'll admit, I've already finished this story. So now it's a matter of updating! Haha I'll try to as often as possible!**

**So, now you know Emily. But will she stay for long? Mwahahaha, I love asking questions only I know the answer to! :P**

**And I'll say that Auslly is coming! But that's ALL I'll say, I don't want to give too much away! XD**

**Read&review! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

The next day Austin walked through the mall, humming one of his songs as he did. "A Billion Hits" was his favorite that Ally had written because it showcased his personality perfectly. He loved how Ally knew him so well.

He was on his way to Sonic Boom, just to drop by before his shift at the Melody Diner. He would see Ally any time of the day, or _all_ day if he had the choice. Crap, his feelings for her were getting deeper every day and he knew it.

But when he entered the store, he automatically became full of concern. There she was, at the counter as usual, but something was _way_ off about her. She kept sneezing, she looked paler than usual, her nose was a shade of red from the sneezing, she coughed every minute and she looked horrible.

Well, she could _never_ look _horrible_ to Austin, but everyone has their off days.

He immediately rushed over to her, where she smiled at him weakly. "Oh, hey Austin."

"You're sick." He stated, looking down at her.

She laughed softly and waved him away. "No, it's just allergies."

He chuckled. "Right, _allergies_. Ally, you're sick." He then went behind the counter, next to her. He held the back of his hand to her forehead. "You're burning up!"

"Like the Jonas Brothers?" She asked, laughing. He laughed too and shook his head.

"Yeah, sure. When was the last time you went to the doctor?" He asked, pulling his phone out.

She stared up at the ceiling, thinking. "Oh, I don't know. My last checkup was…last month? I'm pretty sure."

He began dialing the numbers on his phone. "Okay, just lean against the counter."

"Who are you calling?" She asked, looking at his phone curiously.

"Shh." He shushed her, waiting for the person he was calling to pick up. "Hello? Is this Doctor Carter?...Yeah, my name's Austin Moon. I'm pretty sure my friend is sick, but I don't think it's bad enough to take her to the hospital…Her symptoms?..Well, she keeps sneezing and coughing, she's extremely pale and she definitely has a fever…That's all?..Okay, thank you."

He hung up the phone and looked over at Ally, who was pretty much asleep on the counter top. He smiled at her barely conscious form, before gently shaking her. "Ally? Ally, get up." He said softly into her ear.

"Hmm?" She said, standing up again. She saw Austin and chuckled, "Did I fall asleep?"

He chuckled as well and nodded. "I just got off the phone with the doctor. He said you most likely have the flu. It's been going around lately."

She seemed to be thinking. "I was _so sure_ it was allergies!"

He laughed again and said, "Well, it's not. He recommends you get plenty of rest and drink fluids…whatever that means!"

There was the stupid yet endearing Austin she knew. "He means water." She chuckled.

He stared into space for a second. "Oh." Then he looked at her, his arms out wide. "Well, come on then."

"Where are we going?" She asked, confused.

"You need rest. I'm here to make sure you get just that. Now come on." He explained, taking her in his arms.

She wordlessly obliged as he helped her up to the practice room, but then her eyes went big. "Wait, someone needs to run the store! My dad isn't here!"

He chuckled again. "Ally, relax. I'll call Dez and we can run the store while you sleep."

"Don't you have to work today?" Ally asked.

He shrugged. "Yes, but hopefully Mindy will understand."

She shook her head and walked out of his arms. "No, I won't potentially get you fired _just because_ I have a minor bug. I can power through it, I just-"

She made for the door, but stumbled and he caught her. "Yeah, there's no way that's happening." He said, steadying her again. She still looked unsure, so he said, "Ally, it'll be fine. I promise."

She reluctantly nodded. "Alright, fine. But this just means I'm in your debt."

"Hey, write me a hit song and we're even!" Austin laughed, leading her to the couch. She meekly laughed as she laid down. He got a blanket out and put it over her, her automatically snuggling into it. He sat down next to her, making sure she was going to be okay.

"Is this alright?" He asked her, motioning to her position.

She smiled and nodded. "It's great. Thank you, Austin, for looking out for me."

He smiled. "I'll always take care of you, Ally."

She sighed contently. "I know. That's one of the reasons why you're my best friend."

He felt his heart speed up at this, but controlled it the best he could. "Okay, if you need me I'll be downstairs. Dez will be here too, so just holler or text me or-"

"Austin, you're already doing more than enough. I promise I won't bother you with anything…unless it's an absolute emergency." She laughed, resting her hand on his shoulder.

He nodded. "Alright, have a good sleep then." He bent down and pressed his lips to her forehead, not minding the burning sensation it made when he made contact to her skin.

What made him stop was her pulling away. "No, don't! You'll get sick!" She said, looking up at him with concern.

He chuckled and said, "I don't mind." He bent down again and finished the kiss, whispering "Good Night" into her ear. Who cares if it was the morning?

When he pulled away, her eyes were closed yet she had a smile on her face. "You're too good to me, Austin. I don't deserve you."

He brushed a piece of hair out of her face and behind her ear, pretty sure she was already asleep. "That's not true. You deserve the world, Ally Dawson."

He continued to look down upon her with adoration etched in his face, completely unaware of the person watching outside the door.

**I know, it's short! But come on…it was KINDA adorable right? At least decent? Haha**

**I wanted to show how Austin can take of her, because he "maybe" loves her? (If you haven't figured it out by now, I pity you.) XD**

**And who was outside the door? Guess it right and you get a prize! No, I just lied to you. I am *shame faced* haha No, guess it right and I'll mention your name in the next chapter! :D**

**Read&review because it makes me SO happy! :)**

**P.S. If anyone can pinpoint what show the character DR. CARTER is from, I'll make sure to praise you in the next chapter! :{) (- Mustache Man!)**


	10. Chapter 10

Ally woke up a few hours later, already feeling better. She stretched her arms out and yawned, feeling refreshed. Her throat was still a bit sore and she had slight head pain, but it was manageable.

She then noticed something on the table that made her heart leap with happiness. Upon it was a fresh stack of pancakes with the right condiments, about seven bottles of water, a container of Advil, a jar of pickles and a note.

Ally, while smiling, picked up the note. It read;

_Hey Ally! Didn't know when you'd be up, otherwise I'd be there helping you. As you're reading this I'm probably downstairs running the store with Dez, making complete fools out ourselves because we don't know what to do!_

Ally laughed at this and continued.

_If you look at the table I've supplied you with everything I thought you might need. Some Advil because I thought you might have a headache. Pickles because I know you love them! I didn't know how much 'fluids' was enough, so I just put a bunch of water for you. And pancakes because, well, who doesn't enjoy pancakes? _

Ally laughed again. "Classic Austin and his pancakes." She smiled to herself.

_Don't feel the need to come down unless you want to. I want you to be comfortable and just relax because, and even though it doesn't seem like it, Dez and I got this! You focus on getting better because you looked pretty miserable today and I want you to be happy._

Ally smiled at that part. She saw there was a little left so she finished it.

_I'll see you whenever you start feeling better, hopefully that's soon, and don't forget; it's not the same "Without You!" :)_

Ally rolled her eyes and chuckled at the clever word play. She set the note down and took an Advil, thankful he'd thought of that. She then dug into the pancakes, agreeing with him that they were awesome. And surprisingly he could cook them _really_ well!

After she was finished, she picked the note up again and walked over to the piano. Spotting her song book, she flipped it open to a random page and stuffed the note in; making sure it was safe inside the book. She wanted to keep it, for whenever she was feeling down.

She walked out of the room to the balcony, where she had a great view of the entire store. What she saw made her laugh, not at them but for them. Austin and Dez were behind the counter, surrounded by a crowd of customers demanding different things.

"I don't know!" They kept saying over and over, slowly making the crowd disperse. Ally laughed as she watched, covering her eyes while feeling embarrassed for them. She didn't care much about the customers, they would come back eventually. She was just glad her boys were having 'somewhat' fun.

But as she watched on, she noticed something new about Austin. She couldn't identify what it was exactly; she just knew it was foreign and different to her. And whatever it was, she liked it. Suddenly she couldn't imagine her life without Austin. Sure, she knew they were best friends and he was important. But now she _knew_ she had to have him around.

She shrugged, deciding to accept it as just another step in their friendship. They were truly best friends now, and she was happy with that. Even if it wasn't the truth behind it.

"You two seem to be having fun!" She called from the balcony.

They both looked up, Austin's face brightening noticeably. "Ally! You're up!"

She smiled as she made her way down the staircase, meeting them at the counter. "Yep. Turns out an Advil and a few hours' sleep can do wonders to a sick person."

"So you got my note?" He asked, honestly curious.

She just looked at him. "How could I not? It was sitting _right there_ in front of me!" She chuckled, making him smile in realization.

"Oh, right."

She smiled at him again. "And I wanted to say that it was really sweet. You didn't have to go through so much trouble for me, Austin."

He hung his head. "Ally, when will you realize that I do what I do because I care about you?"

Ally chuckled, but then her head shot up. "Hey, that could make for a good verse in a song!" She quickly searched the counter for a piece of paper and a pen. "Come on, where's a pen when you need one?"

Dez's looked at her. "You need a pen? Because I have one."

Ally smiled. "Great! Can I use it?"

He nodded. "Sure, let me just grab it." He said absentmindedly, rummaging through his book bag for it. "Ah, here it is." He said, pulling out a much larger than normal pen. He handed it to Ally, who had to use both hands to pick it up.

"_This_ is a pen?" She asked in disbelief, Austin staring at it as well.

Dez nodded like nothing was wrong. "I told you, my thing as a director are _big props_! Come on Ally, keep up!"

Ally shrugged and began to write down the verse, although struggling a bit. "Austin, can you hold the paper while I write?"

"Sure thing." He said, holding onto the piece of paper.

Just then Trish walked into the store, her eyes landing on the two. They were laughing about the struggle with writing, making Trish smirk. She was _so_ going to talk to Austin after this.

_~0~0~0~0~_

"No. No, Dallas, I'm fine." Ally laughed into the phone, staring at the countertop.

"Who's Ally talking to?" Austin asked as he came down the stairs, looking at Dez.

"Dallas. She called him and let it slip she had the flu, now he's freaking out or something. What a pansy." Dez chuckled, eating a spoonful of peanut butter.

Austin raised his eyebrows as he looked back at Ally. "Yes, I promise I'll get sleep…Just get back soon, okay? I miss you." Ally smiled.

Austin rolled his eyes in annoyance and walked passed her, grabbing his jacket. He turned back to Ally, catching her attention, and waving.

Her eyes widened at this. "Oh, Dallas? I'm gonna have to call you back…I have to see Austin before he leaves..No, I can't just call him later!...Look, I have to go. Bye!" She flipped the phone closed and walked over to her blond singer.

He was smiling at the things he heard, happy she chose to hang up on _Dallas_ just to say goodbye to _him_. But he wouldn't let her catch on.

"Hey. I'm gonna head out." Austin stated.

Ally smiled at him apologetically. "Okay. And I hope I wasn't too much of a burden today, I don't know what came over me. I mean, how did I get the flu in Miami?" He laughed at her rambling. She realized and said, "Anyway, I want to thank you again."

He smiled. "Like I said, I'll always take care of you. No problem."

"I hope I didn't get you sick, though." She said, her eyes full of worry.

He shook his head, but then let out a huge sneeze. She jumped and gasped, but he looked up at her and smirked. "Kidding!"

She rolled her eyes and smacked his arm playfully. "I'll see you tomorrow." She chuckled.

"See you." He said, turning and walking out of Sonic Boom. He began to make his way through the mall again, but when he reached the food court he saw the shadow of someone standing in the middle of it.

"Hello?" He asked, sounding unsure and little scared. He watched as the figure slowly came toward him, and when they were close enough he let out a breath of relief. "Trish?"

"Yeah, it's me." She smiled, coming up to him. "I'm glad I caught you, I need to talk to you about something."

He nodded. "Shoot."

She looked around, spotting a few leftover employees, and grabbed his arm. She pulled him into a corner and came out with it. "I saw you today."

He looked completely confused. "You saw me…?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes! Today, when you were helping Ally into the practice room!" He froze at this, swallowing. She smirked in triumph, knowing she got him. "_Oh_ yeah, I saw it all."

He shrugged and let out a nervous laugh. "So I was helping a sick friend get better, no big deal." He made to get away, but she stood in front of him. She may be small, but she was intimidating enough to stop him.

"You weren't _just_ helping her, Austin." She said, crossing her arms. "Sure, you were being a good friend. But you were doing it because you have feelings for her!"

"What? You're insane, Trish. I don't _have feelings_ for Ally!" He exclaimed, looking at her with a funny, yet unconvincing look.

She rolled her eyes and smacked his arm. "You can't hide it anymore from me, I already know!" He sighed in frustration, running a hand through his hair. "I know what I saw; _That's not true, Ally. You deserve the world, Ally_." She said, imitating him.

He took a breath and said, "I was helping a friend." He said every word slowly, trying to change her mind. "And she _does_ deserve the world!"

Trish shook her head, looking up at him. "Why are you leading Emily on when you _know_ you want Ally?"

He leaned against the brick wall behind them, sighing in hindrance. "Even if I did feel more than friendly feelings for Ally, which I don't, it wouldn't work anyway. We decided that the day I thought she had a crush on me, remember? It would make everything too complicated, and if we broke up then Team Austin would be dead."

Trish shrugged. "Wouldn't you want to take the risk for happiness?"

Austin stared at the ground. "She's with Dallas."

"Then take her back! She was yours first!" Trish exclaimed, as if it were obvious.

"She was never _mine_, alright?" He snapped. Everything was silent, until he pushed off the wall. "I have to go."

She stopped him one more time. "Look, when you stop being a coward and admit your feelings, let me know. Until then, enjoy pretending."

He rolled his eyes and walked on, leaving her behind. She watched his retreating back with pity, wondering why he wouldn't just admit it already. She knew it, he knew it. What was so wrong?

"_He has enough confidence to go on stage and sing a song to a crowd full of people, yet he can't tell the girl what he's feeling!" _She thought, groaning in frustration.

Once he told her, everything would be good again. Trish just wished it would be soon.

**Okay, let me start by saying a few of you were right! So, for who was outside the door, which was TRISH; Alphinia and Ausllyshipper64 (Guest)! **

**And for Dr. Carter, who was from the show ER; Nime (Guest) and BehindTheseCastleWalls! Congrats on you for guessing it right! For those of you who didn't, nice try! :)**

**Anyway, I'll say that Dallas is coming back VERY soon! Which will, of course, cause conflict for Austin! :( But, yep! Dally vs. Auslly! Who will win? :P**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please read&review! Thank you all for the awesome compliments, I would never be here "Without You!" Yeah, I just said that! XD**


	11. Chapter 11

Austin walked into the Melody Diner, preparing for the worst. The day before he had called Mindy to take the day off, reason being he was taking care of Ally. But everyone knew how Mindy could be; brutal. He decided to just put on a happy face and work the best he had ever, impressing her.

He started his shift and went to the first table he saw, making sure his boss was watching.

_Let me tell you about our Radical Roast Beef, to your taste buds it'll be no cheat,_

_I promise you it's good, you'll be sure to leave in a great mood!_

He ended it with a dance, causing the customers at the table to applaud. He smiled and took their orders, before going back to the counter. To his dismay, Mindy was waiting there for him with a nonplussed look on her face.

"Austin! How nice of you to show up for work today!" She said sarcastically, her arms crossed.

He smiled his best, charming smile. "Hello Mindy, you look great today! Did you do something new with your hair?"

"Cut the crap." She said, holding up a hand to silence him. He automatically ceased the talking, preparing to get fired. "You have hours to make up, my friend."

He raised his eyebrows. "Wait, you're not going to-"

"No, I'm not going to fire you." She finished for him. "You're my best employee and frankly I'd be stupid to let you go." He smiled; glad he still had a job. "Plus, I think it's nice…what you did yesterday for your petite brunette."

He nodded. "Thanks, you know I really don't-"

"I wasn't done." She said flatly, making him shut up at once. "You're lucky to have a boss like me, and to have a friend like Dezziroo." She looked passed him to Dez, who sat a few tables away with his face covered in Cha Cha chicken pot pie. Unfortunately he only kicked the habit for a little while, before going right back to it.

She waved at him, a goofy smile on her face. But then she turned back to Austin with the same look of intimidation as before. "What I'm saying is; don't let it happen again. Or else you're out."

He nodded obediently and she walked away, him breathing a sigh of relief. He actually liked this job, since he could sing all day to whoever he wanted. Cassidy was right; it was the perfect work for musicians and those passionate for music.

The door chimed, signaling a new customer coming in. Austin looked to see Ally and Trish, bringing a grin to his face. He walked over and said, "Hey guys."

Mindy walked by at that moment. "Sing!" She reprimanded, making him stiffen.

"_Hey guys_!" He sang, making them laugh.

"So, how's work going?" Ally asked, still chuckling.

He made sure Mindy was out of earshot before leaning closer to them and whispering, "Great, all except the boss. She's so strict!"

"I know! That's exactly why I quit." Trish said, flipping her hair. Austin was surprised at how calm she was being toward him, since they were a bit hostile to each other the night before. He decided he'd be glad and not question her motives.

"Sure, you _quit_." Ally said, giving Trish a look.

"Quit, got fired. They're the same thing!" Trish defended, her nose slightly in the air. Ally laughed at her friend as Dez looked up from his plate.

"More pie!" He exclaimed, crazy eyed.

"Dez, calm _down_." Trish said, resting a hand on his forearm.

He shook his head. "No, I need the pie!" After saying that, he leaned closer to her and whispered, "I have a problem."

"We all know that!" Trish said, pushing him away. He began to desperately scrape the crumbs off his plate, eating every one. "You're pathetic." Trish laughed, wiping a spare crumb off of his cheek.

Austin rolled his eyes and smiled, turning to Ally. "So, are you feeling better?"

She nodded. "Much. I only sneeze like once every half hour!" She laughed, making him as well.

"Wow, progress!" Austin said sarcastically, patting her shoulder. "Well at least you look better."

She gasped and smacked his arm playfully. "Thanks a lot, Diner Boy."

He chuckled and pulled out his phone. "And guess what? I just got a thousand _more_ followers on Tweeter this morning!"

Ally smiled up at him. "Wow, that's great Austin! I'm so happy for you." He grinned at her. "I pretty much gave up on that whole thing since the _Suzy's Soup incident." _

He smirked just as the bell chimed, signaling another customer. Austin looked to see Emily walk in, looking around. Her eyes landed on him and she smiled, although he noticed it was dim.

"Hey!" He said as she came over. He ignored the look Trish gave him and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Emily's eyes darted from him to the people at the table before saying, "Uh, can we talk?" He nodded, but she leaned closer. "I mean alone."

Realization came to him as he looked to his friends. "If you'll excuse us." They nodded and began talking as Austin and Emily walked to the back.

"Hey, no personal calls!" Mindy yelled from the other side of the restaurant

Austin turned back to her with pleading eyes. "It'll only take a minute, I promise!"

She sighed. "Alright fine, but _only_ a minute. I'm watching you, Moon!"

He smiled and went back to Emily, who was standing behind the counter with her arms crossed. He automatically noticed how upset she looked. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked, his eyebrows scrunched in concern.

She sighed. "Yeah, but I-"

"Wait, before you say anything; I got a thousand more followers on Tweeter!" He was proud of this news, so he was going to share with anyone who would listen.

Emily smiled at him. "Really? That's awesome, Austin."

He nodded. "Thanks. When I told Ally-"

"Wait, you told Ally _before_ me?" She asked, cutting him off.

He nodded and shrugged. "Yeah, so what?"

She sighed and shook her head. "Okay, that's it."

He looked confused. "What's it?"

"This." She said, motioning to the two of them. "Us."

If it was possible, he looked _even more_ confused. "Emily, what are you talking about?"

She closed her eyes and said, "Austin, I'm breaking up with you."

He looked taken aback. "Wait, what?" She looked at him again, his eyes were full of shock. "W-why? I thought you like me back!"

She shook her head. "I do like you! I like you a lot, actually."

"Then why are you ending it?" He asked, coming closer to her.

She looked into his eyes, hers filled with sadness yet empathy. "Because you want Ally."

He was silent for a minute, processing what she said. "What?" He asked finally.

She laughed, although it held only a little humor. "Come on, I've seen the way you look at her. Like she's the most priceless thing in the world." He looked to the side, shaking his head. "Please, don't take me for a fool."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Em, I don't…nothing's going on with Ally and me. Okay? We're just friends."

She nodded. "I know. I never thought you were secretly dating her." He looked a little relieved, but she scrunched her eyebrows together. "But you want to be."

He exhaled, looking up at the ceiling. She picked at her thumb nail, already feeling the awkwardness setting in. "I came in here just to talk to you about how I was feeling, you know, about you and Ally. I thought maybe there was a way I could get passed it. But now I know that there isn't." He swallowed the lump building in his throat. "I mean, you told _her_ before _me_! That in itself says a lot."

He finally met her gaze again and said softly, "I'm sorry."

She smiled lightly. "It's okay. I should've known from the moment you introduced me to her." He looked at her guiltily.

"If there was anything I could do or say or…"

She rested a hand on his arm. "I know. I hope you two are happy together." He smirked, making her bite her lip. "Goodbye Austin."

She quickly pecked his cheek before turning and walking away, leaving him behind in his thoughts. So many emotions were running through him at that moment. He thought his brain might explode from all the thinking, but eventually he knew one thing for sure.

He could no longer be in denial.

_~0~0~0~0~_

Later that night, as Trish sat on her couch reading the latest issue of her favorite magazine, she heard someone ring her doorbell.

"I'll get it Mom!" She called, standing up and walking to the front door. She opened it to reveal a disheveled looking Austin, his blond hair messed up and slightly out of breath. "Austin? What the-"

"I'm done being a coward." He stated, staring at her. She raised her eyebrows, wondering what in the world he was talking about. But then the next words he said were the ones she'd wanted to hear all along.

"I'm in love with Ally."

**:O**

**Okay, so he finally admitted it to himself AND to Trish! Now that it's out, what could possibly happen? Haha**

**And sorry to leave you with such a cliffhanger! Hopefully this will satisfy you (or make you crazy with anticipation) until the next update? I promise it won't be a long wait! :)**

**And Emily is gone, so there you go! Haha :P**

**Read&review! :D**


	12. Chapter 12

Trish's eyes went as big as the moon, staring at Austin. He blinked a few times, not believing he just admitted it to someone. Although he felt relief nonetheless.

"I'll be outside, Mom!" Trish called over her shoulder, closing the door. So now they were alone on the porch.

She stared up at him again. "S-so you admit it? You _finally_ admit it?" She asked hopefully, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

He merely nodded. "Like I said, I'm done being a coward. I can't hide it anymore." He looked to the ground, running a hand through his blond hair.

"Is that why your hair's all messed up?" Trish chuckled, pointing to his hand currently placed in his hair.

He realized what she was talking about and sighed, his arm falling at his side. "Well this whole thing isn't exactly easy for me! I mean, being in love with your best friend isn't a walk in the park, Trish."

She shook her head and held her hands up. "Okay, but at least you admit it. That's the first step, Austin."

Austin closed his eyes and groaned. "So, what do I do now?"

Trish bit her lip. "I'm not sure exactly."

His eyes shot open, staring at her in disbelief. "What? All along you've wanted me to confess my feelings and now that I have, you don't know what to do?" He exclaimed.

She shrugged, giving him a look. "I'm sorry! You _know_ I don't think things out very well."

He forced a breath out and nodded. "Okay, sorry for freaking out. But I still don't know what to do!" Trish opened her mouth, but was interrupted by, "I mean, do I just go up to her and tell her?" Again, she opened her mouth. "Or do I keep my feelings down?" She was getting annoyed as he said, "Maybe I should move to Guadalajara…"

She exhaled frustration when he put his hands on her shoulders. "What do I do?"

She huffed and slapped him. "Keep it together, man! If you just calm down I'll help you!"

He looked taken aback, holding his hand to his cheek where hers collided with it moments before. But when her words sunk in, he nodded and stood up straight again. "Thanks, I needed that."

She nodded curtly. "You're welcome. Now, first I have to know; what about Emily?"

Austin looked to the ground, looking slightly guilty. "Oh, right. We-she ended it."

Trish raised her eyebrows. "What? When?"

"Today, when she came into the diner."

Trish let out a scoff. "Wow, that's what she wanted to talk to you about?" He nodded. "What was her reason?"

Austin chuckled ironically. "She figured out my feelings without me even telling her. She said she'd known since the moment she met Ally."

Trish shrugged. "She was smarter than I thought." She then looked at him. "Okay, well that makes things easier. She's gone, meaning full access to Ally without the fear of cheating!"

Austin just looked at her. "Aren't you forgetting something?" Trish looked confused. "Dallas?"

Trish waved him away. "He's off in Orlando, visiting relatives or whatever."

"Yes, but eventually he'll come back. And Ally's head over heels for the guy!" He said the last part with jealousy laced in his tone.

Trish was going to say something, but was cut short. "You're right. I'm wrong? I'm never wrong!" He chuckled at her comment, when suddenly her face brightened. "But if you _tell_ Ally your feelings, I'm sure her mind will change!"

Austin raised his eyebrows. "You think so?"

Trish shrugged, smiling. "Yeah, why not? I mean, Dallas is just a brunette, less talented version of you! You remember how Ally described him in her book."

Slowly a smile appeared on Austin's face. "You know what? You're right!"

"Now everything's right with the world." Trish said in satisfaction.

"I'll just go to Sonic Boom tomorrow and tell Ally how I really feel!" He turned to run off, but suddenly faced her again. "But what if she doesn't return them and then everything's awkward? I told you if that happened, our whole arrangement will be screwed."

Trish looked at him seriously. "Austin, you're _in love_ with the girl. I know for a fact you can't keep that down and really, don't you want to take the risk? Imagine being in a more than friendly relationship with her. Isn't that what you want?"

Austin stared into space, imagining it. A goofy, love struck smile came to his face as he did. "It's exactly what I want."

Trish rolled her eyes and pushed him toward the stairs leading off of her porch. "Well then go get some rest. You have a big day tomorrow buddy!"

He laughed and began to leave, but turned again. "What now?" She groaned.

"Thanks." He said, smiling at her. He gave her a quick hug before leaving, her crossing her arms and smirking.

"Trish the matchmaker. If there was someone hiring for that, I'd never get fired!" She laughed, turning and walking into her house.

_~0~0~0~0~_

Austin felt his nerves getting the better of him as he walked through the mall, slowly seeing Sonic Boom come into view.

"Okay, I can do this. It's just Ally, my best friend." Austin told himself as he neared the front doors. He then stopped. "My best friend that I'm in love with!"

He then looked through the glass doors, seeing Ally at the counter like always. He smiled, suddenly all his doubts fading away. "It's just Ally." He said, pushing the door into the store.

She looked up and waved. "Hey Austin!" She smiled as he came over.

"H-hey Ally. Um, can I talk to you for a second?" She didn't look up from her song book.

"Yeah, sure." She said as she wrote a new lyric down.

He nodded and took a deep breath, preparing himself for it. He opened his mouth to begin, but was interrupted by her saying, "This song is going to be great, by the way. I have big plans for it my friend!"

He smiled nervously. "That's awesome, but I _need_ to tell you-"

"I mean, I think this can be your next hit!" She laughed, writing some more down.

"Amazing, but Ally I have to say-"

"Imagine becoming a star because of this one song!" She said dreamily.

He gripped the counter top and said, "I'd rather imagine you stop speaking for one second so I can talk!" He didn't mean to snap, but his nerves were coming back and he didn't want to lose what little confidence he had. It was now or pretty much _never_.

She looked up at him, eyes full of shock. "You're right, sorry." She smiled sheepishly, making him slightly regret flipping on her. She closed her book and pushed it aside. "Alright, I'm all ears. Go on!"

"Okay, I don't quite know how to say this but I…I've felt it for a long time. And I don't expect you to just..accept right away or anything, but, um…Ally I-"

Suddenly he was cut off by her squealing with joy. He thought, for a split second, that she was shrieking with happiness because she felt the same way. But he saw her eyes were directed passed him, looking somewhere behind him.

Confused, he turned to see Dallas standing there. Suddenly Ally ran passed him, right into Dallas' awaiting arms. Austin was totally frozen, just watching them swing around in pure bliss.

He finally threw his head back in agitation. "Oh, come _on_!" He groaned, but the happy couple was too consumed in each other to notice.

"What are you doing here?" Ally exclaimed, looking at her boyfriend.

He raised his eyebrows, smiling. "If you want, I can go _back_ to Orlando…"

"No!" She said, grabbing his arm. "That's not what I meant. I thought you weren't supposed to be back for another few days!"

Dallas shook his head. "Well, I _was_. But it was pretty boring there, so my parents let me take a plane back early!"

She smiled brightly and hugged him. "Well, I'm so glad you're back!" She pulled away and turned, facing Austin. "Can you believe this?" She asked happily.

"Nope, I _sure_ can't." Austin said through gritted teeth, forcing a smile. The couple walked over to him, Dallas holding his hand out.

"Hey Austin, how's it going?" He asked the (irritated) blond singer.

"Oh, just peachy." Austin said, shaking his hand. Neither noticed the venom in his voice.

"Well, we should go catch up!" Ally smiled, looking up at Dallas. He returned the smile and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"I think that's a great idea." He said. They turned and were about to leave, but Ally faced Austin again.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Austin! What were you going to tell me?" She said, looking directly at him.

He was still for a moment before shaking his head and grinning. "Oh, it's nothing. Just something about the song, but it can wait. You two kids have fun!" They smiled at him and left, leaving him standing at the counter.

As soon as they were gone, he turned and repeatedly hit his head against the counter top. Just then Dez and Trish walked in, the short Latina walking right over to him.

"Um, correct me if I'm wrong." She said, making him stop banging his head and look at her. "But did I just see Ally walk out of here with _Dallas_?"

Austin smirked bitterly. "Nope, you're right. I _know_ you love that, Trish." She could tell right off the bat that he was upset.

"When did Dallas get back?" Dez asked innocently, totally oblivious. Trish gave him a look that said to shut up, which he did.

"Look, Austin." She said, grabbing his arm. "Don't let this minor setback stop you from telling her, okay?"

He swung around. "What? Trish, she's with her _boyfriend_! That's not a minor setback, that's a major fail!" Trish sighed as Dez came over to them.

"Wait, why is Dallas coming back a major fail?" He asked, looking totally lost.

Trish huffed. "Because Austin's in love with Ally and Dallas will ruin everything!"

Austin's eyes went wide, where Trish gave him an apologetic look. "Trish? That's not really how I wanted to tell him." He explained calmly.

They turned back to Dez, who had his mouth wide open. "Dez? You okay in there?" Trish reached up and waved a hand in front of his eyes.

"Wait, Austin's in love with Ally?" They both nodded. He then took a total turn, as always, and just shrugged. "Eh, I figured one day it would happen."

"What?" Austin and Trish exclaimed at once.

"Dude, you knew all along?" Austin asked, coming over to him.

"No, I just had a feeling." Dez said as if it were obvious, shaking his head.

Austin threw his hands up. "Great! I guess everyone knows except the one person that I'd rather have know than any of you!" He said sarcastically.

"Okay, maybe it's not _all_ bad?" Trish suggested. "I mean, who knows? Perhaps Ally will just…break up with Dallas or something!"

Austin gave her a look. "Are you kidding? She's basically in love with him." He looked over his shoulder at the door. "She feels about Dallas how _I_ feel about _her_."

Suddenly Dez stamped his foot. "Alright, that's it!" This made both Austin and Trish look taken aback. Dez went over to Austin and said, "Don't you know who you are? You're _Austin Moon_!"

"Yeah, so?" Austin shrugged.

"_So_, are you going to let some guy, AKA Dallas, get in your way of happiness?" Austin looked to the side, realization coming into view. "You've performed in front of _crowds_, man! Don't let fear interrupt your chance with Ally."

Austin nodded, but then shook his head. "But I keep telling you guys, she likes Dallas! Even if I tell her, she'll still like Dallas. It's not _all_ a matter of telling her, it's if she'll reject me or not." Trish and Dez looked at each other. "I don't think I can handle that from Ally."

All was quiet as Austin sat down, looking distressed. Trish sighed and came over, resting her hand on his shoulder. "You're just going to have to take that chance." He looked up at her. "Look, I know it's scary to put your feelings out there. We've _all_ been in that position as least once in our lives."

Dez sniffed, staring off into space. "I'll never forget when my gingerbread family let out their feelings. Such a sweet moment." He said, his voice trembling.

Trish and Austin just gave him a look before Trish rolled her eyes. "What I'm saying is; if you never try, you'll never know. Simple as that!"

Austin nodded. "I know that's true, I guess…I don't know." He bit at his thumb nail, a bad habit he did when nervous, and stood up. "Man Trish, how many times can I say that you're right?"

She smiled, popping her collar. "Oh don't worry, it never gets old."

He chuckled. "So all that's left is finding the perfect moment." He began to pace around. "It can't be too sudden; I don't want to shock her. Well, it'll shock her _anyway_ but…it can't be random either. It has to be just right."

"I don't think a moment like that exists!" Trish exclaimed.

"It will!" Austin responded, feeling a new surge of confidence. "I'll _make _one happen."

Trish smiled, impressed as Dez said absentmindedly, "You know what I feel like making; toast." He reached into his book bag and pulled out a toaster. "Anyone want some?"

"Dez, you are so," Austin began, pointing at him. But when he thought it over, he said, "Alright, give me some!"

Dez smiled knowingly and popped a piece in for the both of them. Trish rolled her eyes again, muttering, "Boys" before going back to her magazine.

**Okay, that was a bit of a challenge to write! And I'll say right here, and here **_**only**_**; Auslly is right around the corner. A few more updates and the story will take a turn! That's ALL I'll say for now…**

**And I didn't quite know how to make Dez react to the news, so I made him totally nonchalant about it. He always does the unpredictable, so wa-la! Haha **

**And when he gave Austin the mini pep talk, I wanted to show that he could **_**really**_** be a best friend, and not just a goof ball! That's part of what friends are for, right? Encouragement? :)**

**Read&review! :D**


	13. Chapter 13

The next few days after Austin finally declared his love for Ally to Trish, he'd been slightly shying away from her. Which sometimes she didn't even notice, since she was too wrapped up in Dallas. But one day, when they were supposed to practice, she stopped him from leaving the practice room.

"Austin, wait." She said, grabbing his arm.

"Yeah, what's up?" He asked, his eyebrows raised.

She sighed. "I'm sorry that I've been…disregarding you these past few days." He looked to the ground. "It's just, Dallas and…"

"Ally, I get it." He chuckled, cutting her short. "You like him, and he just got back. No need to apologize."

"But I want to! I mean, you're my best friend. And, as much as_ he_ might not like this," Austin waited to hear what she was going to say. She showed a small smile and looked up at him with a gleam in her eye. "You come first."

She couldn't tell, but that simple statement made his heart jump with happiness. He didn't even care how girly that may have sounded.

He smiled down at her. "Thanks, Ally."

She returned the smile and said, "No problem." Then her eyes went bigger. "Hey, why don't we spend the day together? Just you and me."

His smiled grew wider. "Sure, why not?" He then smirked. "I mean, I have nothing _better_ to do or anything…" She mock gasped and smacked his arm, making him chuckle. "So, what do you want to do?"

"Hmm, didn't we realize before that we had, like, _nothing_ in common?" She said, grinning.

"Oh yeah. Well, we could go see a scary movie!" He suggested, his face brightening.

She just looked at him. "Nah, I'm not really tired."

He rolled his eyes and smiled. "Okay, what about the beach?"

"Sun burns and sand everywhere? No thanks." She said, crossing her arms.

"Hey, I thought you enjoyed the beach last time." Austin said, his eyebrows raised.

"I did! But that doesn't mean it's my favorite place in the world." She shrugged, him nodding in understanding.

"Okay, well maybe we could-" Suddenly he was cut off by his phone ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket to see a new message. "Here we go! You know that band, The Script?"

She nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"Well, they're doing a surprise concert down at the boardwalk. Wanna go?" He asked, a smile on his face.

"Uh…yeah!" She laughed. "Let's go!"

He laughed and took her hand, running out of the practice room.

_~0~0~0~0~_

When they got to the concert, all Austin had to say was his name to the guy and they were let right in. "Wow, I guess more people know who Austin Moon is than we thought!" Ally smiled, looking up at him.

They got good seats and watched the band, having a great time together. Even if it might've meant a little more to him than her.

But soon the sky went darker, so the band decided to play a slower song. "Breakeven" came on and everyone applauded, the song being an obvious crowd favorite.

Although a few seconds into it, Austin noticed Ally shiver against him. He glanced down at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, her automatically leaning into him. A smile came to his face at the sight; her with her head on his shoulder while watching The Script play away.

The moment was perfect. Even though the song wasn't really relevant to his situation, it somehow reflected his feelings impeccably. He really was falling to pieces, realizing his feelings growing for her every day. Ally had Dallas' heart and his, yet she didn't even know it.

He saw the lights from the stage bounce off her big, brown eyes spectacularly. But his daydream was soon cut off when the sound of applause could be heard. He snapped back to reality and clapped too, although his arm never left her.

_~0~0~0~0~_

"Wow, that was great!" She exclaimed as they made their way back to Sonic Boom. "I mean, I never realized how much I liked The Script until now!"

He laughed. "Yeah, same here. I'd love to meet them someday."

She smiled at him as they reached the front doors. But as they did, a figure emerged from the shadows. The person walked up to them, making Ally's smile broaden.

"Dallas!" She said, hugging him.

"Hey, I haven't seen you all day!" He smiled as they pulled away.

"Oh, sorry. I just went to a concert with Austin." Ally said, pointing to the blond singer. "You've heard of The Script, right?"

"Yeah, I've heard of them." Dallas nodded, sideways glancing at Austin. Austin could see the slight jealousy in Dallas' eyes, boosting his cheerfulness.

"So, what are you doing here?" She asked after a little while.

"I just wanted to see you. I missed you." He smiled, making her hug him again. Meanwhile, Austin mentally gagged over the cheesiness that is Dallas.

"You're so sweet." Ally smiled.

He returned it. "Well, I should probably get back now. I'll see you tomorrow?" Ally nodded. Dallas quickly glanced at Austin before leaning in, capturing Ally's lips with his.

Suddenly Austin froze, becoming paralyzed. Sure, he'd heard of them having their first kiss before. And he knew that they probably have, considering they were together. But he had never _witnessed_ it before now. And it made him incredibly jealous, mad and protective of her.

The couple pulled apart and she waved at him as he walked down the street, Austin watching his retreating back as well.

"Well, see you." Ally smiled at the internet sensation before walking into Sonic Boom, leaving Austin outside. He was still frozen to his spot, his mind going a million miles a minute.

After a few seconds, his legs worked again and he ran into the store. He couldn't see her anywhere, so he made his way up the stairs to the practice room. He then opened the door to see her standing by the piano.

"Austin?" She asked as she turned around, looking at him with her eyebrows furrowed. He just stared at her with an unreadable emotion in his eyes.

"_She was yours first! Take her back!_" Trish's words echoed in his head. He nodded and walked over to her, taking her face in his hands.

Her confusion increased but she didn't have any time to ask a question because right when she was about to, his lips crashed down onto hers.

Her eyes widened as he kissed her, completely shocked. Was he _really_ kissing her? She couldn't even return it, she was too surprised.

He pulled away after a second, just staring into her big, brown, confused eyes. "I love you." He stated simply, slightly out of breath from the run and his kiss.

She opened her mouth to say something, but he had already pulled away. He looked at her one last time before turning and walking out of the room, leaving a totally surprised and utterly confused Ally behind.

**:)**

**Okay, first let me say that I'm sorry for the wait! But here it is, a BIG turning point in the story! :P**

**And I used The Script in this because they're one of my favorite bands ever! If you haven't heard of them, I **_**know**_** some of their songs have been on the radio! Let's see…"Nothing" "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" "For The First Time" Those are just some songs! :)**

**Anyway, please read&review! I REALLY want to know your opinion of this particular chapter!**


	14. Chapter 14

Trish walked into Sonic Boom, wearing another ridiculous costume due to her new job. But upon entering the store, she found a huge crowd near the cash register. Confused, the short Latina walked around them to see Ally just standing there, lost in her own little world with a giant line of people waiting for her.

"Ally!" Trish exclaimed, running over to her friend.

"What?" Ally's head shot up, looking around with a confused expression on her face. She then saw the many faces staring at her. "Whoa!"

"Sorry people, this register is closed. Come back later!" Trish shouted, dragging Ally with her to the practice room. Many groans could be heard from the customers, but Trish just shut the door.

"Alright, what was _that_?" Trish asked, pointing to the door. "You're Ally, you never zone out while on the job."

But Ally was just staring at a spot on the floor, lost in thought again. "Ally!" Trish yelled in her face, making her jump.

"I'm sorry, I keep going off." Ally apologized, sitting down on the piano bench.

"Don't apologize, just tell me why!" Trish said matter-of-factly, placing her hands on her hips.

Ally subconsciously played a few notes before sighing and facing her friend again. "Austin told me he loved me."

Trish's mouth dropped open. "What?" Ally simply nodded. "He finally told you?"

"Wait, what?" Ally asked, standing up. "You mean…you knew?"

Trish's eyes went slightly bigger. "Pssssh, what? No, o-of course not!"

Ally looked at her disbelievingly. "Well this is just _great_. Everyone knew this insane secret except me! Well I'm positive Dez didn't know…"

When Trish was quiet, Ally gasped. "_Dez_ knew?"

"Well, he _is_ Austin's best friend…" Trish began, causing a sharp look from Ally.

"So am I the only one who thinks this is all crazy?"

"What's crazy about it? I mean, it was kinda obvious." Trish shrugged.

"No, it wasn't!" Ally said with wide eyes. "Austin and I were just supposed to be best friends, not…this! I thought we agreed on that when he thought I had a crush on him."

She sat down on the bench and rested her head in her hands. "He just made everything more complicated."

Trish just looked at her. "Did he really? Or did he just make the first move?"

Ally met her gaze. "What are you-"

"Come on, Ally. You haven't _once_ thought about being with Austin? As more than friends?"

Ally stared at her for a second, before sighing and looking to the floor. "Okay. Maybe you're right." She confessed quietly. "But, I mean, I'm with Dallas!"

"Or are you settling for Dallas?" Trish asked with a slight smile, her eyebrows raised.

"Oh lose the wise tone." Ally waved her off, clearly annoyed.

Trish rolled her eyes and rested a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Okay, I'll make it simple. You only have two choices; Dallas or Austin."

"What's simple about that?" Ally asked sarcastically, but Trish ignored her.

"Think about it. And I hope you choose the right guy. I really do." With that she turned and left Ally with her thoughts.

Ally just sat there, staring at the piano keys. So many times she sat here with Austin, just throwing song ideas around and goofing off. Did it mean more to him? How long had he felt that way toward her?

More importantly, did she feel the same way?

Then her mind drifted to Dallas. He was the perfect boyfriend; kind, considerate, sweet, funny. But was she _truly_ happy with him, or settling for him like Trish said.

Then it hit her, like a million bricks. After thinking long and solid about both guys, she came to her conclusion. There was only one guy who made her as happy as all those romantic movies she'd seen, and picturing his face in her mind brought a bright smile to her face.

Ally stood up abruptly and walked out of the practice room, down the stairs and out to find Dallas. She had made her decision.

And they _needed_ to talk.

.

.

.

"You're _breaking up_ with me?" Dallas asked in disbelief, staring at his now ex-girlfriend.

Ally felt terrible and tried to explain. "Dallas, please-"

"I don't get it! I mean, just yesterday we were happy and okay and-"

"I know, but _please_ let me explain-"

"Is it Austin?" He asked suddenly, causing her mouth to shut. When she looked away and didn't say anything, he scoffed in disbelief. "I don't believe this."

"Dallas, I'm _so_ sorry. But I need to explain why this is happening." Ally said calmly, tears in her eyes. She wished she didn't have to hurt him in this way, but it had to happen.

He crossed his arms, not even trying to mask the hurt in his eyes. She took a deep breath before explaining, "After you left yesterday, Austin came up to the practice room and he…"

Dallas raised his eyebrows, urging her to go on. She closed her eyes and said, "And he kissed me. Then he told me he loved me."

Dallas shook his head and looked away. "So you're saying you _cheated_ on me?"

"No, don't look at it that way-"

"Well how am I supposed to look at it?" He exclaimed, staring at her.

"I don't know." She whispered as a small tear involuntarily escaped her eye. "I myself don't even know how I feel about Austin! I just know that I care about him, _a lot_. More than I know, and if I don't give it a try I'll always regret it."

She took a step closer to him, but he just took a step back. "But I'll never forget _our_ time together. You were my first boyfriend, my first love. Please, let's not end it on a bad note. _Please._"

He just looked at her, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Ally. But you're breaking my heart."

She closed her eyes tightly; pretty sure _her_ heart was breaking a little. "And I just…can't. Goodbye Ally."

He turned and walked down the street, leaving her behind. She couldn't stop the tears from falling as they came. A chapter of her life had just ended, the one that involved Dallas. And she was sad about it.

But she knew a new one would be starting. One with Austin. One where she would be truly happy, with her best friend.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, she cast one last glance at Dallas' retreating back. "Goodbye Dallas." She whispered, before turning and walking away.

In the direction of Austin's house.

.

.

.

She arrived at his house ten minutes later, her cheeks stained with dry tears. She saw the car that was usually parked in the driveway gone, meaning his parents were gone for sure.

She hoped he wasn't.

She slowly made her way up the porch steps and took a second, knowing that what she was about to do would change their relationship forever. But she was willing to take that chance.

She knocked three times and crossed her arms, waiting (praying) that he would open the door. And surely enough, there he was.

He took one look at her and his eyebrows rose in confusion.

But she just looked up at him and said, "I just broke up with Dallas."

Her comment took him by surprise. "Wait, what did you-"

"And I love you too." She said, cutting him off.

That one made him stop talking altogether, but after he processed what she'd said, he smiled. And she couldn't help smiling as well. They both let out breaths out happiness as took a step toward her, again taking her face in his hands.

And this time she was ready when their lips met in the middle.

**Yay! They're together! Haha **

**And I am so sorry about the wait! But one review made me HAVE to update! This goes out to HEOLove88 (Guest)! If you start involving the Lord of Pancakes, I have to add another chapter! XD**

**Read&review please!**


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